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ANTONY  WAYMOUTH; 


OR, 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS. 


BY 

WILLIAM  H.   G.  KINGSTON. 


BOSTON: 

J.    E.    TILTON    AND    COMPANY. 

1865. 


STEREOTYPED   BY 

C.    J.    PETERS    <fe    SOS, 
So.  13  Washington  St. 


Press  of  Oku.  C.  Raxd  <t  Aveky. 


ANTONY    WAYMOUTH. 


CHAPTER    I.  ' 

"  What  !  Ned  Raymond  ahoy  !  Heave  to,  lad. 
What!  dost  seek  to  give  a  wide  berth  to  an  old 
friend  ?  That  once  was  not  your  wont.  Ned 
Raymond  ahoy,  I  say !  " 

The  slight  dark  mustache  on  the  lip  of  the 
person  addressed  showed  that  he  had  just  reached 
the  age  of  manhood.  His  raven  hair  hung  in 
ringlets  from  his  head.  A  black  velvet  cloak 
thrown  over  one  shoulder,  and  a  tightly-fitting 
dress  of  the  same  material  and  hue,  set  off  his 
well-made,  active  figure.  His  plumed  cap  and  the 
sword  by  his  side  showed  that  he  claimed  to  belong 
to  the  upper  rank  of  society.  Indeed,  no  one  look- 
ing at  the  refined  expression  of  his  features  and  his 
intelligent  countenance  could  doubt  that  such  was 
his  right.  He  was  walking  somewhat  rapidly 
through  the  narrow  and  irregularly-built  streets  of 
the  seaport  town  of  Plymouth,  at  that  time  one  of 
the  chief  ports  of  departure  for  the  numerous  naval 


b  ANTONY   WAYMOUTH;   OR. 

expeditions  which  went  forth  to  the  West  and  to  the 
East  in  search  of  new  lands,  and  of  regions  of  gold 
and  diamonds  and  other  precious  stones. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  the  people  of  Devon- 
shire and  Cornwall  have  from  the  earliest  days 
shown  a  strong  propensity  for  naval  adventure. 
This  arises  not  alone  from  their  geographical  posi- 
tion, but  has  descended  to  them  from  their  pro- 
genitors, who  were,  there  can  be  but  little  doubt, 
Phoenicians,  —  or  their  descendants  the  Cartha- 
ginians, perhaps,  —  sailors,  merchants,  and  others 
attracted  from  the  northern  shores  of  Africa  for  the 
sake  of  the  tin  found  in  those  counties.  Even  at 
the  present  day  many  of  their  customs  and  the 
nautical  terms  they  employed  are  retained.  The 
clotted  cream  of  Devonshire  and  on  the  coast  of 
Barbary  is  the  same,  as  is  the  mode  in  which  the 
people  manage  their  farms.  Caboose  was  the  name 
of  the  temple  carried  by  the  fire-worshipping  Phoe- 
nicians on  the  decks  of  their  vessels  ;  the  cook's 
house  on  board  ship  is  now  so  called.  Davit  in 
Arabic  is  a  crooked  piece  of  wood  ;  the  same  term 
we  apply  to  the  timbers  by  which  boats  are  hoisted 
up  to  the  sides  of  ships.  However,  we  are  now 
talking  of  more  modern  days,  and  must  proceed. 

Good  Queen  Bess  sat  on  the  throne  of  England, 
and  ruled  the  realm  as  few  sovereigns  have  done 
before  or  since,  greatly  to  the  furtherance  of  Brit- 
ain's glory  and  wealth,  and  to  the  firm  establish- 
ment of  religion  and  true  liberty,  for  which  let  all 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  7 

honest  Englishmen  be  grateful,  and  talk  not  of  her 
womanly  weaknesses  and  failings. 

The  young  gentleman,  hearing  his  name  called, 
stopped  and  looked  earnestly  at  the  person  who  had 
addressed  him,  and  who  was  following  rapidly  in 
his  footsteps.  The  costume  of  his  pursuer  was  far 
more  gay  and  dashing  than  was  his,  being  com- 
posed of  bright  -  colored  velvet  and  silks,  with  a 
golden  chain  round  his  neck,  a  plumed  hat  set 
jauntily  on  his  head,  and  a  jewel-hilted  sword  by 
his  side.  He  had  a  laughing  blue  eye  and  light 
curling  locks,  and  though  his  countenance  was  well 
bronzed,  and  his  voice  strong  and  manly,  his  fea- 
tures still  bore  the  impress  of  early  youth.  Indeed, 
his  hairless  lip  and  beardless  chin  showed  that  he 
had  scarcely  emerged  from  boyhood.  He  ran  up  to 
the  person  of  whom  he  was  in  pursuit,  and  frankly 
held  out  his  hand. 

"  Really,  sir,  you  have  the  advantage  of  me," 
said  the  elder  gallant,  gravely  drawing  himself 
up. 

On  this  the  younger  gave  way  to  a  merry  peal  of 
laughter,  exclaiming,  "  If  I  am  changed,  surely  you 
are  not,  good  coz.'  I  see  that.  What!  Ned  —  Ned, 
most  oblivious  of  mortals,  don't  you  remember 
little  Tony  "Waymouth,  whom  you  pulled  out  of  the 
water  just  in  time  to  prevent  him  from  becoming 
food  for  the  fishes,  at  the  risk  of  your  far  more 
valuable  life,  and  to  whom  you  ever  gave  the  best 
of  advice,  and  set  the  best  of  examples,  neither  of 


8  ANTONY  WAYMOUTHi  OR, 

which,  graceless  vagabond  that  he  was,  is,  and  I 
fear  ever  will  be,  he  took  or  followed  ? " 

There  was  no  longer  any  hesitation  on  the  part 
of  the  elder  in  seizing  the  proffered  hand,  but  he 
found  his  fingers  wrung  in  so  hearty  a  way,  and 
with  so  vice-like  a  grasp,  that  he  could  scarcely 
refrain  from  crying  out  with  pain. 

The  lad  saw  by  the  expression  of  his  friend's 
countenance  that  in  the  warmth  of  his  affection  he 
had  really  hurt  him. 

"  Marry,  pardon  me,  dear  Ned,  that  my  fingers 
have  been  thus  heedless.  They  have  been  so  accus- 
tomed to  haul  at  ropes,  tug  at  the  oar,  and  dabble 
in  the  tar-bucket,  that  they  have,  like  their  owner, 
lost,  I  fear  me,  all  civilized  habits  and  customs,"  he 
exclaimed,  exhibiting  his  horny-palmed,  thoroughly- 
bronzed  hand. 

"  Say  not  a  word,  Tony,"  answered  Raymond. 
"  Far  rather  would  I  feel  the  grasp  of  thy  honest 
fist  than  the  gingerly  touch  of  the  soft-palmed  cour- 
tier. But  tell  me,  lad,  where  hast  thou  been  these 
long  years  since  we  parted  at  school,  where  I  fear 
me,  Tony,  there  was  not  much  knowledge  packed 
away  in  that  then  small  head  of  thine  ?  I  have 
heard  rumors  of  your  existence,  and  that  is  all." 

"  Wandering  over  the  ocean,  and  battling  with 
the  elements  and  strong-armed  men,"  answered 
young  Waymouth.  "  But  the  spectacle  of  two 
such  gay  gallants  as  we  are  in  this  quiet  street  has 
already  attracted  attention.     I  see  down  there  the 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  9 

sign  of  the  White  Swan,  a  good  hostelrie,  I  know. 
Let  us  step  in  there ;  it  is  about  the  hour  of  dinner, 
and  I  know  full  well  that  we  shall  find  a  cup  of 
good  sack  to  wash  down  the  viands.  While  discuss- 
ing it  I  will  tell  you  briefly  of  my  doings  and  listen 
gladly  to  yours.  I  long  to  hear  of  your  past  life 
and  future  prospects." 

"  Agreed,"  said  Raymond  ;  "  but  before  we  enter 
let  me  advise  you,  Tony,  to  take  but  one  cup ;  the 
second  is  apt  to  do  harm." 

"  An'  it  be  a  jolly  big  one,  then,"  answered  Way- 
mouth,  as  they  entered  the  inn.  "  We  rovers  of 
the  sea  get  so  much  salt  water  down  our  throats 
that  we  require  a  fair  portion  of  good  liquor  to  cor- 
rect its  ill  effects." 

"  The  same  as  of  old,"  observed  Raymond,  as 
they  took  their  seats  in  the  public  room  and  waited 
till  dinner  was  placed  before  them,  preceded  by  the 
promised  sack.  "  And  now,  Tony,  that  your  throat 
is  washed,  tell  me  all  that  time  will  allow  of  your- 
self," he  added,  after  Waymouth  had  tasted  and 
expressed  his  approbation  of  the  sack. 

"  With  all  my  heart,  then,  that  I  may  the  sooner 
come  at  yours,  Ned,  I'll  begin,"  said  Waymouth, 
in  his  light,  cheery  tone.  "  You  know  that  I  al- 
ways had  a  fancy  for  a  life  at  sea ;  not  that  I  knew 
any  thing  about  it,  but  I  thought  I  did,  which 
comes  to  the  same  thing.  Many  of  my  relatives 
followed  the  sea,  both  on  my  father's  and  mother's 
side,  and  among  them  was  as  brave  a  gentleman  as 


10  ANTONY  WAYMOTJTH;  OR, 

ever  stepped  —  ray  worthy  cousin,  Captain  John 
Foster,  of  the  good  ship  Primrose,  belonging  to  the 
port  of  London.  I  had  frequently  seen  him  and 
won  his  regards,  and  so  at  last  I  told  him  my  hopes 
and  wishes.  He  promised  to  intercede  for  me,  and 
kept  his  word.  My  father  gave  his  consent,  and 
the  next  time  he  put  to  sea  he  took  me  with  him  as 
cabin-boy.'  The  Primrose  was  bound  for  Bilboa, 
on  the  north  coast  of  Spain,  with  bale  goods.  We 
had  a  quick  run  across  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  were 
politely  received  by  the  Spaniards,  and  soon  made 
arrangements  to  dispose  of  our  cargo.  To  show  his 
regard,  the  chief  magistrate  of  the  district,  the  cor- 
regidor,  sent  word  that  he  would  pay  us  a  visit. 
He  came  off  in  a  large  boat,  with  a  dozen  or  more 
dons,  highly  respectable  merchants,  he  told  us,  who 
wished  to  make  our  acquaintance.  The  captain  in- 
troduced me  to  the  corregidor  as  a  young  relative 
who  had  come  to  sea  for  the  first  time  to  try  how 
he  liked  a  life  on  the  ocean.  The  magistrate  made 
a  great  deal  of  me,  and  patted  me  on  the  head,  and 
said  all  sorts  of  complimentary  things  which  I 
didn't  understand  ;  but  there  was  a  language  in  his 
eye  which  I  did  understand,  though,  and  I  saw 
glances  exchanged  between  him  and  the  dark  eyes 
of  his  companions  which  still  further  aroused  my 
suspicions.  I  slipped  out  of  the  cabin  and  told  the 
captain.  '  Good  boy  ! '  he  remarked  ;  '  I'm  on  the 
watch.' 

"  Dinner  was  brought  in,  and  wine  in  abundance. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  H 

The  corregidor,  after  sparingly  partaking  of  some 
food  and  wine,  departed  with  some  of  his  followers, 
leaving,  however,  five  in  the  cabin,  who  at  once 
made  themselves  at  home,  laughing,  and  singing, 
and  talking  at  their  ease,  trying  to  make  the  captain 
and  officers  drink  with  them.  I  observed  that  they 
did  not  swallow  nearly  as  much  as  they  pretended 
to  take,  and  that  the  flasks  but  slowly  became  empty. 
They  kept  on  their  cloaks,  and  I  caught  sight  of  the 
scabbards  of  their  swords  and  of  a  long  dagger  in 
the  belt  of  one  of  them.  Still  we  mustered  twenty- 
seven  men,  stout  and  true,  on  board,  so  that  we  had 
nothing  to  fear  from  these  five  Spaniards.  As  to 
purchasing  the  cargo,  the  object  for  which  they  said 
that  they  had  come,  they  were,  it  seemed,  too  much 
overcome  witli  wine  to  talk  about  the  matter. 

14  Leaving  them  in  the  cabin,  I  went  on  deck, 
where  I  found  that  the  captain  had  served  out  arms 
to  all  the  men,  and  loaded  the  guns  ready  for  action. 
Some  of  our  people  were  sent  below,  others  lounged 
about  the  deck  with  their  weapons  concealed  under 
their  clothes.  He  had  good  reason  for  this  precau- 
tion, for  as  I  looked  over  the  side  I  saw  two  boats 
pulling  off  towards  us,  one  containing  twenty  or 
thirty  men,  the  other  near  a  hundred,  it  seemed. 

"The  corregidor,  in  the  smaller  boat,  was  the 
first  to  come  alongside  and  to  step  on  board  with 
all  imaginable  frankness  and  cordiality.  He  had 
brought  with  him  some  dozen  or  more  Biscayan 
merchants,  who  were  desirous  of  trading  with  their 
friends  the  English. 


12  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;   OR, 

"  '  If  these  are  Biscayan  merchants,  they  have  a 
very  martial  look  about  them/  observed  the  captain 
to  one  of  our  officers.  '  Now,  Senhor  Corregidor,' 
he  continued, '  you'll  understand  that  no  more  of 
those  gentry  come  up  the  side ;  they  crowd  our 
decks  and  incommode  the  men  in  their  duties.' 

"  The  corregidor  with  many  a  grin  agreed  to  this, 
but  still  the  boats  remained  alongside.  Our  captain 
on  this  was  about  to  order  them  off,  when  Senhor 
Corregidor  whips  out  a  white  wand  of  office,  and 
cries  out  in  a  loud  voice,  '  Yield,  for  you  are  our 
prisoners,'  while  the  seeming  merchants  draw  their 
daggers  and  swords  and  present  them  at  the  cap- 
tain's breast. 

"  '  We  are  betrayed,  lads ! '  he  shouts,  knocking 
up  the  -weapons  with  a  handspike. 

"At  the  same  moment  a  drum  beats  in  the  big 
boat,  and  the  Spaniards,  soldiers  in  disguise,  begin 
to  climb  up  the  sides.  I  run  aft  and  clap  the  hatch 
over  the  cabin,  so  as  to  keep  the  five  gentlemen 
there  quiet,  while  our  men,  drawing  out  their 
weapons,  begin  to  lay  about  them  with  a  will  which 
astonishes  the  dons.  Some  run  to  the  guns  and 
point  them  down  at  the  boats;  others,  with  axes, 
force  back  the  men  who  are  climbing  the  sides. 
Our  decks  are  slippery  with  blood.  Several  of  our 
men  are  wounded.  A  shot  strikes  a  shipmate  stand- 
ing in  front  of  me,  and,  falling  dead,  he  knocks  me 
over.  It  saves  my  life,  for  a  Spaniard  is  making  a 
cut  at  me,  which  misses,  and  our  captain  cuts  him 


THE   GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  13 

down.  Still  we  fight  on  against  fearful  odds.  Our 
enemies  gain  the  deck,  but  it  is  only  to  add  to  th«* 
heap  of  the  slain.  At  last  the  corregidor  cries  out. 
and  begs  our  captain  to  order  his  men  to  cease 
fighting. 

" '  Marry,  very  likely ! '  says  the  captain,  in  the 
sort  of  Spanish  lingo  he  spoke.  '  Why,  my  fellows 
are  such  fire-eating  dogs  that  they  would  kill  me  if 
I  was  to  make  such  a  proposal.  Is  it  the  Inquisi- 
tion, with  a  turn  at  the  thumb-screws,  the  rack,  and 
the  stake,  or  liberty  and  Old  England,  you  look  for, 
my  brave  lads  ? '  continues  the  captain,  turning  to 
the  men. 

"  '  Liberty  and  Old  England ! '  shout  all  our  com- 
pany. 

"  '  Then  let  us  trundle  these  treacherous  scoun- 
drels overboard,  cut  our  cable,  and  make  sail,'  he 
exclaims  in  return. 

"  Scarce  a  minute  passed  and  it  was  done  ;  some 
were  thrown  into  the  hold,  and  the  rest  overboard, 
and  a  strong  breeze  coming  off  the  land,  the  cable 
was  cut,  the  sails  filled,  and  away  we  glided  out 
ahead  of  a  dozen  boats  which  came  off  in  pursuit. 
We  plied  them  well  with  our  ordnance,  till,  like 
baffled  hounds,  they  turned  tail  and  went  back  to 
their  kennel. 

"  Clear  of  the  land,  we  turned  to  examine  our 
prisoners.  The  five  caged  in  the  cabin  had  whole 
skins,  the  rest  were  wounded.  Among  them  was 
the   smooth-spoken   corregidor,  now  wofully  crest- 


14  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

fallen.  We  dressed  his  and  the  other  people's  hurts 
as  well  as  we  could,  seeing  that  we  had  no  leech 
aboard,  and  with  a  fair  wind  stood  across  the  Bay 
of  Biscay.  The  captain,  whose  kindness  seemed  to 
touch  the  feelings  of  the  don,  at  last  asked  him 
what  made  him  act  so  treacherous  a  part.  On  this 
out  of  his  pocket  he  pulls  a  paper,  winch  was  just 
an  order  from  King  Philip  to  seize  every  ship  of 
Holland,  Zealand,  Easterland,  and  England,  in  his 
ports,  letting  none  escape,  that  he  might  increase 
his  own  fleet,  by  which  he  proposed  to  strike  a  blow 
to  overwhelm  Old  England  and  all  Protestant  coun- 
tries together. 

"  'Ah!  is  that  so,  Senhor  Don?  Then  our  gra- 
cious sovereign  lady  shall  know  all  about  it,  an'  my 
name  be  John  Foster,'  exclaimed  the  captain  ;  and 
you  may  be  sure  that,  favored  by  fine  weather,  we 
carried  all  sail  night  and  day  until  we  arrived  safely 
in  the  Thames. 

"  The  captain,  taking  me  with  him,  hurried  up  to 
London  with  our  prisoners,  strongly  guarded.  We 
got  audience  of  the  queen  and  of  the  great  Lord 
Burleigh ;  and  the  captain,  albeit  not  much  of  a 
courtier,  did  his  devoir  right  courteously  to  her 
majesty,  who  took  the  paper  with  her  own  gracious 
hand,  and  ordered  a  gentleman  standing  by  to  read 
it  to  her.  When  she  heard  its  contents  her  whole 
countenance  changed. 

"  '  We'll  be  on  the  watch  for  you,  cousin  Philip,' 
she  exclaimed ;  but  I  heard  no  more,  for  her  majesty 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  15 

turned  to  my  Lord  Burleigh  and  other  noblemen  and 
gentlemen  to  hold  secret  converse  with  them. 

"  But  the  captain  was  not  the  man  to  go  away 
without  fulfilling  all  his  intentions.  He  took  me  by 
the  hand,  and,  presenting  me  to  the  queen,  told  her 
that  I  had  given  him  the  first  hint  of  the  intentions 
of  the  Spaniards,  and  confirmed  the  opinion  he  had 
formed,  and  he  hoped  that  her  majesty  would  gra- 
ciously keep  me  in  mind. 

"  '  Ah,  ah  !  the  little  varlet,  we'll  not  forget  him,' 
was  her  majesty's  reply ;  nor,  by  my  troth,  did  she. 
There's  not  an  expedition  of  note,  nor  an  adventure 
which  has  promised  honor  or  wealth,  since  under- 
taken, in  which  I  have  not  been  engaged.  I  sailed 
with  Admiral  Sir  Francis  Drake  to  the  West  Indies 
in  the  Sea  Dragon,  commanded  by  honest  Harry 
White.  We  did  the  Spaniards  no  small  damage, 
burning  their  towns  and  sinking  their  ships  without 
number,  and  came  back  with  our  pockets  lined 
with  doubloons,  and  six  hundred  thousand  golden 
pounds,  and  brass  cannon,  and  jewels,  and  orna- 
ments of  all  sorts  on  board.  I  served  aboard  the 
Mary  Rose,  under  the  brave  Captain  Fenton,  when 
the  Spaniards'  Grand  Armada  entered  the  Channel ; 
and,  following  them  up,  we  at  length  broke  through 
their  line,  led  by  the  admiral  himself.  Then  we 
engaged  broadside  to  broadside  a  huge  Spanish  gal- 
leon, which  we  compelled  to  strike,  and  carried  into 
port.  But  I  weary  you,  good  coz,  with  my  adven- 
tures ;  I  might  go  on  talking  till  midnight,  and  yet 


16  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

not  tell  thee  half  the  things  I  have  done  and  seen. 
I  may  well  say,  that,  since  the  time  I  made  my  first 
voyage  in  the  Primrose,  for  not  one  single  month  at 
a  time  has  my  foot  rested  on  terra  firma." 

"  Weary  me,  Tony  !  "  exclaimed  Raymond,  who 
had  been  listening  with  the  deepest  attention,  and 
an  expression  of  wonder  in  his  countenance,  to  every 
word  his  young  companion  had  uttered.  "  Indeed 
you  do  not.  If  I  did  not  know  you  to  have  been  as 
a  boy  the  soul  of  honor,  and  incapable  of  falsehood, 
I  should  only  have  been  inclined  to  doubt  that  you 
had  gone  through  all  ihe  adventures  you  describe." 

M  Ah,  that  is  because  all  these  years  you  have 
been  living  quietly  on  shore,  as  I  suspect,  where 
weeks  and  months  pass  by  you  scarcely  know  how," 
answered  Waymouth,  in  a  tone  of  compassion. 
"  But  now  that  I  have  told  you  somewhat  about  my 
worthless  self,  let  me  ask  you  how  you  have  passed 
the  last  few  years  of  your  mortal  existence  ?  " 

"  Briefly  I  will  reply,"  said  Raymond.  "  At 
school  and  college.  The  learned  University  of  Ox- 
ford is  my  alma  mater,  and  even  now  I  am  debating 
to  what  profession  to  devote  my  energies  —  the  law, 
the  Church,  or  physic.  Sometimes  I  fancy  public 
life,  or  to  seek  my  fortune  at  court,  where  I  have 
kindred  who  might  aid  me  ;  but  yet,  in  truth,  I  am 
undecided." 

"Ah,  that's  good,"  exclaimed  Waymouth  with 
animation.  "The  law  —  to  persuade  your  hearers 
that  black  is  white,  and  to  set  men  by  the  ears  — 
let  that  alone  an'  you  value  your  soul." 


THE  GENTLEMEN  AD  VENTURERS.  17 

It  is  not  surprising  that  the  young  seaman  should 
give  expression  to  a  vulgar  and  ignorant  prejudice 
against  one  of  the  most  necessary  of  professions. 

"  Physic  !  '  Throw  physic  to  the  dogs,  I'll  none 
on't,'  as  Will  Shakspeare  has  it,"  continued  Way- 
mouth.  "No,  no,  Ned,  learn  not  to  murder  thy 
friends  and  those  that  trust  thee.  As  to  the  Church, 
I'll  say  nothing  against  that  if  thou  hast  a  calling  to 
the  ministry.  To  care  for  the  soul's  welfare  is  a 
noble  office,  but  if  sought  for  the  sake  of  filthy  lucre 
it's  a  mean,  despicable  trade,  so  we  hold  who  follow 
the  sea.  And  then  thou  talkest  of  seeking  thy  for- 
tune at  court.  As  well  seek  it  on  the  slippery  ice. 
No,  no;  listen  to  me,  Ned.  Seek  it  with  us.  It's  a 
secret  as  yet,  and  I  cannot  tell  thee  particulars ;  but 
this  much  I  may  say.  There  is  as  bold  an  adventure 
even  now  preparing  as  ever  set  forth  from  these 
shores.  Hark,  Ned :  I  know  that  thou  art  trust- 
worthy. It  is  for  the  far-off  lands  of  India,  Cathay, 
the  Spice  Islands,  and  maybe  the  wide  Pacific,  where 
many  a  richly  laden  galleon  or  Portugal  ship  may 
be  fallen  in  with.  Become  an  adventurer  with  us. 
Our  lists  are  not  filled  up.  Think  that  in  two  or 
three  short  years,  at  most,  thou  wilt  become  for 
certain  a  man  of  wealth,  fit  to  wed  the  proudest 
lady  in  the  land.  Then  the  wonders  of  those  distant 
lands  I  They  make  no  more  count  of  gold  and  sil- 
ver, of  diamonds  and  other  precious  stones,  than  we 
do  of  tin  and  iron,  and  of  pebbles  from  the  seaside. 
Come,  come,  Ned  ;  say  yes  to  my  proposal." 

2 


18  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH ;   OR, 

But  Raymond  did  not  say  yes,  and  Waymouth 
continued  in  the  same  strain  for  some  considerable 
time  longer.  At  length  Raymond  answered,  while 
the  color  mantled  on  his  cheeks  — 

"I  would  fain  go  with  thee,  good  coz,  but  the 
truth  is,  there  is  one  I  love  here  in  England  from 
whom  I  could  not  bear  to  be  parted.  We  trust  to 
wed  some  day,  and  all  my  hopes  of  happiness  on 
earth  are  bound  up  in  her." 

"  Ha !  ha !  I  might  have  thought  so,"  said  Way- 
mouth.  "  That  comes  of  living  on  shore.  Now  at 
sea  we  have  no  time  for  thinking  of  such  matters. 
I  doubt  not,  however,  that  the  fair  one,  whoever  she 
may  be,  is  worthy  of  your  love.  Tell  me,  do  I  know 
her?" 

"  It  is  no  secret  —  she  is  the  Lady  Beatrice  Wil- 
loughby.  Her  grandfather  was  that  noble  captain 
who  perished  in  the  attempt  to  discover  a  passage 
to  Cathay  by  the  north-west.  You  have  doubtless 
heard  the  tale  —  how  he  and  all  his  men  were  found 
frozen  to  death  in  the  icy  sea,  the  admiral  seated  in 
his  cabin,  his  pen  in  his  hand,  his  journal  before 
him." 

"  Ay,  that  have  I,  and  reverence  his  name,"  said 
Waymouth  with'  feeling.  "  But  what  fortune  hast 
thou,  coz,  to  support  a  wife  ?  They  say  these  ladies 
of  fashion  are  not  content  unless  they  have  their 
coach,  their  running  footmen,  and  their  waiting- 
women,  and  I  know  not  what  else  beside." 

Raymond  sighed.  "  My  fortune  is  to  be  made  — 
I  live  on  hope,"  he  answered. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  19 

"  Such  often  maketh  the  heart  sick  and  the  body 
lean,"  replied  the  young  sailor.  "Follow  my  ad- 
vice. Go  tell  the  Lady  Beatrice  the  truth.  Vow 
eternal  constancy,  and  comfort  her  with  all  the 
soothing  speeches  thou  canst  make,  and  I'll  war- 
rant that,  in  three  short  years  at  furthest,  thou  wilt 
return  with  wealth  sufficient  to  support  a  wife  as 
becomes  your  family  and  hers." 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  Antony  Waymouth 
spoke  what  he  believed  to  be  the  truth,  and  gave, 
as  he  fancied,  excellent  advice.  It  may  appear 
surprising,  however,  that  Raymond,  a  scholar  and 
a  man  of  good  parts  and  judgment,  should  have 
been  so  strongly  influenced  as  he  was  by  the  argu- 
ments of  a  mere  youth  ;  but,  as  far  as  acquaintance 
with  the  world  was  concerned,  Waymouth  was  the 
oldest  of  the  two.  He  had  been  left  since  a  child 
almost  to  work  his  own  way  in  the  world,  helped 
onward  by  the  queen,  and  had  mixed  with  every 
variety  of  men.  This  gave  him  a  confidence  in 
himself  and  an  independence  of  manner  which 
Raymond  had  had  no  opportunity  of  gaining. 

While  the  young  men  were  still  eagerly  talking, 
a  clock  from  a  neighboring  tower  struck  the  hour 
of  one  past  noon.  Waymouth  started  up  with  an 
exclamation  of  astonishment,  saying  — 

"  The  hours  have  sped  faster  than  I  thought.  I 
should  have  been  aboard  by  this  time  to  see  how  the 
artificers  get  on  with  their  fittings.  But  come,  coz, 
you  shall  be  my  excuse,  and  I'll  show  thee  as  stout 
ships  as  ever  sailed  the  salt  ocean." 


20  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

"  Agreed,"  was  the  answer,  and  the  two  friends 
set  off.  All  the  way  Antony  plied  his  companion 
with  the  most  glowing  descriptions  of  the  wealth  and 
fortune  to  be  obtained  in  the  distant  East,  not  to 
speak  of  the  honor,  and  glory,  and  renown.  Portu- 
gal ships  and  Spaniards  without  number  were  sure 
to  be  taken,  even  should  the  land  fail  to,  yield  what 
might  be  expected.  And  then  the  wonders  to  be 
seen  —  the  curious  people  —  the  palaces  of  silver  and 
precious  stones  —  the  Great  Mogul  on  his  throne  of 
gold,  and  the  Emperor  of  Cathay,  with  his  robes 
of  rubies  and  diamonds  —  not  to  speak  of  the  possi- 
bility of  falling  in  with  Prester  John,  whose  do- 
minions were  undoubtedly  on  that  side  of  Africa ; 
and  then  the  Spice  Islands,  which  might  be  dis- 
cerned by  their  fragrance  even  when  miles  away ! 

Enlarging,  as  Way  mouth  did,  with  an  eloquence 
which  perfect  confidence  in  the  truth  of  what  he 
was  saying  gave  him,  and  a  strong  desire  to  gain 
over  his  friend,  it  is  not  surprising  that  Raymond 
yielded  to  such  seductive  arguments,  and  began  to 
grow  eager  to  join  the  expedition  as  an  adventurer. 
Aboard  the  ships  which  were  fitting  in  the  harbor, 
Waymouth  introduced  him  to  several  other  adven- 
turers, who  naturally  wished  to  obtain  a  gentleman 
of  such  good  parts  and  family  as  a  brother  in  their 
company.  Raymond  had,  he  fancied,  a  small  patri- 
mony at  his  command.  Could  he  do  better  than 
risk  it  in  so  promising  an  adventure,  and  in  three 
short  years  come  back  and  marry  his  beloved  Bea- 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  21 

trice  ?  Still  he  would  do  nothing  rashly ;  he  would 
make  no  engagement  till  he  had  talked  the  matter 
over  with  her.  Accordingly,  leaving  Waymouth 
on  board  to  attend  to  his  nautical  duties,  early  next 
morning  lie  took  horse  and  set  off  for  Exeter,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  which  city  the  Lady  Willoughby, 
with  her  daughter  and  the  rest  of  her  family,  re- 
sided. 

Raymond  was  welcomed  as  he  always  was,  but  he 
could  not  bring  himself  at  first  to  announce  the 
object  of  his  visit.  He  spoke,  however,  of  his  meet- 
ing with  Waymouth,  and  of  his  descriptions  of  the 
wonders  of  the  East,  and  the  wealth  to  be  speedily 
obtained  in  those  distant  seas.  His  auditors  were 
even  more  interested  than  he  expected.  It  was  but 
natural  that  young  Hugh  Willoughby  should  be  so, 
but  so  likewise  was  Hugh's  uncle,  Sir  John  Jourdan, 
a  brother  of  Lady  Willoughby's,  and  guardian  to 
her  children. 

The  early  dinner  over,  Raymond  and  Beatrice 
wandered  forth  into  the  grounds,  for  they  were 
acknowledged  lovers,  and  enjoyed  a  liberty  which 
would  otherwise  have  been  denied  them.  Raymond 
saw  at  once  that  Beatrice  was  sad  at  heart.  He  felt 
tongue-tied.     She  spoke  first. 

"I  know  what  has  been  passing  in  your  mind, 
dear  Edward.  You  long  to  join  these  adventurers, 
and  I  know  why  —  for  the  sake  of  the  wealth  you 
hope  to  obtain." 

She  gazed  tenderly  at  him,  her  blue  eyes  suffused 


22  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

with  .tears.  Beatrice  was  fair  and  graceful.  Ray- 
mond thought  her  beauty  faultless :  so  did  many 
others.  How  could  he  withstand  such  an  appeal  ? 
He  acknowledged  that  she  was  right  in  her  conjec- 
tures, but  expressed  himself  ready  to  be  guided  by 
her  decision. 

"  Stay,  then,"  she  whispered.  "  Wealth  I  do  not 
value.  I  would  be  content  to  be  your  wife  however 
humble  your  lot,  but  I  have  that  confidence  in  your 
steadiness,  and  perseverance,  and  love  for  me,  that, 
with  the  many  honorable  careers  open  to  you  at 
home,  I  feel  sure  that  you  will  ere  long  secure  a 
sufficient  competency  to  support  me  in  that  station 
of  life  in  which  we  have  been  born." 

Raymond  thanked  her  over  and  over  again  for 
this  kind  and  encouraging  speech.  In  a  moment 
all  his  dreams  of  adventure  and  the  wealth  he  was 
suddenly  to  acquire  vanished  into  thin  air.  He 
promised  to  be  worthy  of  the  high  opinion  she  had 
formed  of  him,  and  to  labor  on  bravely  in  England, 
having  the  enjoyment  and  support  of  her  society. 
They  wandered  on  through  the  grounds,  beneath 
the  shade  of  stately  elms  and  sturdy  oaks,  in  the 
delightful  feeling  that  they  were  not  to  be  parted, 
and  regardless  of  all  sublunary  affairs  but  their  own. 
Little,  therefore,  were  they  prepared  for  the  blow 
which  was  to  fall  on  their  heads  on  their  return  to 
the  hall  in  the  evening. 

It  appeared  as  if  both  Sir  John  and  Hugh  had 
divined  Raymond's  thoughts  when  he  had  arrived 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  23 

in  the  morning  at  the  hall,  for  they  immediately 
commenced  the  subject  of  an  adventure  to  Cathay, 
and  inquired  if  he  had  formed  any  plans  for  making 
one.  Raymond  did  not  like  the  tone  in  which  he 
was  addressed,  and  replied  simply  that,  had  such  an 
intention  crossed  his  mind,  he  had  abandoned  it. 
On  this  the  knight  looked  glum,  and  Hugh  showed 
an  inclination  to  fume  ;  but  no  further  words  then 
passed. 

It  was  not  till  the  ladies  had  retired  to  their 
chambers  that  Sir  John  again  opened  on  the  subject. 
He  spoke  very  explicitly.  He  was  the  guardian  of 
his  niece  Beatrice,  and  as  such  had  the  undoubted 
disposal  of  her  hand.  Love  and  poverty  might  do 
in  theory,  but  were  objectionable  in  practice.  He 
had  a  great  respect  for  Master  Raymond,  as  he  had 
for  Sir  Thomas  his  father,  and  for  all  his  family,  but 
the  interests  of  his  ward  must  be  his  first  consider- 
ation. Now  he  had  discovered,  imprimis,  that  Mas- 
ter Raymond  had  much  less  fortune  than  he  had 
supposed  ;  and,  secondly,  that  his  prospects  of  mak- 
ing a  fortune,  or  of  pushing  his  way  in  the  world, 
were  much  smaller  than  desirable,  and  that,  there- 
fore, he  was  in  duty  bound  to  withhold  the  consent 
previously  given  to  his  marriage  to  Beatrice  till  such 
times  as  he  could  show  that  he  possessed  the  means 
in  fact,  and  not  only  in  prospect,  of  maintaining  her 
as  a  gentlewoman. 

Poor  Raymond  felt  his  heart  sinking  lower  and 
lower  while  listening  to  these  remarks,  till  it  seemed 


2-1  ANTONY   WAYMOUTH;   OR, 

J. 

to  have  gone  out  of  his  bosom  altogether.  What 
could  he  say  ?  He  stammered  out,  at  length,  that 
his  love  would  give  him  strength  and  courage  to 
achieve  any  thing  mortal  man  could  do,  and  that  he 
was  sure  of  success.  But  what  sounded  a  very 
plausible  argument  to  his  ears  was  so  much  prunella 
to  those  of  the  old  knight. 

"  I'll  tell  thee  what,  lad  :  from  thine  own  show- 
ing this  morning,  there  is  a  course  open  to  thee  by 
which  thou  mayst  gain  speedily  both  wealth  and 
honor,  and  all  a  gentleman  of  spirit  can  desire,  and 
that  I  take  thee  to  be.  Go,  think  about  it  on  thy 
couch,  and  to-morrow  I'll  warrant  that  thou  wilt 
agree  that  I  have  given  thee  sound  counsel  and 
advice." 

Edward  went  to  his  couch,  but  not  a  wink  did  he 
sleep.  His  heart  was  torn  with  a  variety  of  con- 
flicting emotions.  He  could  not  help  owning  that 
there  was  truth  in  what  Sir  John  had  said,  and  yet 
he  felt  that  he  had  the  power  to  win  his  way  to  for- 
tune by  honest  labor  with  such  a  being  as  Beatrice 
Willoughby  at  his  side.  Hot  and  feverish,  he  rose 
early  to  take  a  turn  in  the  park.  He  had  not  gone 
far  when  he  heard  footsteps  behind  him.  He 
turned,  and  saw  Hugh  Willoughby  following  him 
at  a  rapid  pace.  There  was  a  frown  on  the  young 
man's  brow,  and  his  lips  were  compressed  in  a  way 
which  showed  that  he  was  in  no  good  humor. 

"  Well  met,  this  fine  morning,"  he  exclaimed  in 
an  angry  tone.     "  I  must  have  a  word  or  two  with 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  25 

you,  Master  Edward  Raymond.  It  seems,  sir,  that 
you  have  been  deceiving  us  —  leading  us  "to  suppo.se 
that  your  fortune  is  far  greater  than  it  turns  out  to 
be.  I'll  tell  you,  sir,  that  my  sister  shall  never  wed 
a  beggar  while  I  have  a  sword  with  which  to  run 
that  beggar  through  the  body  who  dares  to  wish  it." 
Edward  gasped  for  breath  —  such  bitter,  taunting, 
cruel  words,  how  could  he  abide  them  ?  He  had  a 
sword  by  his  side,  but  nothing  should  make  him 
draw  it  on  the  brother  of  his  Beatrice.  He  took 
two  or  three  turns  up  and  down  on  the  green- 
sward. 

"  Hugh,"  he  exclaimed,  "  you  wrong  me  cruelly. 
Your  uncle  knows  more  of  the  state  of  my  affairs 
than  I  do  myself.  My  earnest  desire  has  been  to 
obtain  a  fortune  to  support  your  sister  as  becomes 
her.  Fut  two  days  ago  the  offer  was  made  me  to 
undertake  such  an  expedition  as  that  proposed  by 
your  uncle.  Not  your  taunts,  not  your  threats, 
not  your  anger,  shall  compel  me  to  go  ;  but  I  be- 
lieve that  I  shall  be  doing  right  in  going.  On  one 
condition  I  will  consent  —  that  no  force  or  restraint 
be  put  on  your  sister's  inclinations.  If  she  cares  no 
longer  for  me,  let  her  marry  whom  she  will ;  but  if 
she  remains  faithful  to  me  —  as  I  know  right  well 
she  will,  and  as  I  shall  to  her  —  then  I  have  your 
word,  that,  on  my  return  with  the  wealth  I  may 
have  won,  I  may  claim  her  as  my  bride." 

"Fairly  and  right  nobly  spoken,"  exclaimed 
Hugh,  who,  though  hot-tempered,  was  of  a  gener- 


26  Axroyy  waymouth ,-  or, 

ous  disposition,  and  had  been  worked  up  to  act  as 
he  had  done  by  his  uncle.  "  Agreed  —  agreed ;  I'll 
tell  Beatrice  what  you  have  said,  and,  no  doubt,  she 
will  see  its  wisdom." 

In  more  friendly  intercourse  than  from  their  first 
meeting  might  have  been  expected,  the  two  young 
men  continued  their  walk,  and  returned  to  such  a 
breakfast  as  is  seldom,  in  these  degenerate  days, 
seen  on  the  table. 

Sorely  against  her  judgment  and  inclination,  Bea- 
trice yielded  to  her  uncle's  demands.  Deep  was 
her  sorrow  at  parting  from  Edward,  and  reiterated 
were  their  mutual  vows  of  constancy ;  not  that 
either  had  the  slightest  doubt  of  each  other's  de- 
voted love.  It  was  more  for  the  sake  of  influencing 
others  than  themselves  that  vows  were  exchanged  — 
that  they  might  say,  "We  have  vowed;  we  "cannot 
break  our  vows." 

Edward  had  to  return  home  to  make  his  prepara- 
tions. The  old  knight,  his  father,  heard  of  this  his 
sudden  resolve  with  a  sorrowing  heart.  His  own 
health  had  given  way  sadly  of  late.  He  knew  that 
the  change  which  no  mortal  can  avoid  must  soon 
come  upon  him,  and  should  his  well-loved  son  go 
away,  even  for  a  few  years,  he  could  scarcely  hope 
that  his  eyes  would  rest  on  him  again  on  this  side 
the  grave.  He  was  fully  aware,  too,  of  the  perils, 
great  and  innumerable,  to  which  he  must  inevitably 
be  exposed  Still,  though  gentle  and  loving,  he 
was  stout  of  heart ;  peril  had  never  daunted  him. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTU11ERS.  <        27 

If  his  son  desired  to  go  on  this  adventure,  he  would 
not  withhold  his  consent.  Lady  Raymond  was  no 
more  ;  but  there  was  another  member  of  his  family, 
to  part  from  whom  cost  Edward  a  severe  pang  —  his 
lovely  sister  Constance.  She  was  not  only  lovely, 
graceful,  and  good,  but  full  of  animation  and  spirit, 
combined  with  a  calm  courage  and  determination 
which,  when  difficulties  came  in  her  way,  made  her 
take  pleasure  in  overcoming  them.  Few  who  ob- 
served her  gentle  and  quiet  demeanor  would  have 
supposed  her  likely  to  perform  the  deeds  of  devotion 
and  courage  of  which  she  was  capable. 

"  I  wish  that  I  were  a  man,  that  I,  too,  might 
take  part  in  so  gallant  an  enterprise,  and  win  for 
myself  such  a  bride  as  is  your  Beatrice,"  she  ex- 
claimed when  her  brother  told  her  of  his  purpose  ; 
but  she  added,  "and  yet,  dear  Edward,  it  grieves 
me  sorely  to  part  with  you.  I  would  go  myself, 
and  yet  I  would  not  have  you  go ;  and  yet,  again,  I 
cannot  say  you  nay.  Go,  go !  It  must  be  so,  I  see, 
and  I  will  join  my  prayers  with  those  I  know  your 
sweet  Beatrice  will  offer  up  night  and  day  for  your 
safe  return." 

"  The  die  is  cast,"  said  Edward  with  a  sigh,  and 
he  wrote  to  Waymouth  to  say  he  would  join  him. 
In  the  course  of  four  days  he  set  forth  from  Exeter, 
with  a  couple  of  packhorses  to  carry  his  worldly 
goods,  and  a  serving-man,  equipped  for  his  projected 
voyage  to  the  far  East. 


28  ANTONY   WAYMOUTH;    OR, 


CHAPTER    II. 

A.  goodly  fleet  of  stout  ships,  with  bulging  sails, 
and  gayly-colored  banners  and  streamers  flying, 
sailed  down  Plymouth  Sound  before  a  favoring 
breeze,  which  promised  to  waft  them  along  .steadily 
towards  the  sunny  latitudes  of  the  tropics.  There 
sailed  the  Red  Dragon,  pf  full  three  hundred  tons 
and  forty  pieces  of  ordnance  —  the  admiral's  ship; 
and  there  was  the  Serpent,  of  not  less  than  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  tons  —  the  vice-admiral's  ship;  and 
the  Lion,  of  not  much  less  tonnage  and  armament 
than  the  Serpent;  there  was  the  Lion's  Whelp, 
a  tall  ship,  and  two  pinnaces,  the  Sunshine  and 
Moonshine,  the  larger  ships  carrying  each  from  one 
hundred  to  one  hundred  and  thirty  men,  and  the 
pinnaces  thirty  men  each;  and  as  for  arms,  besides 
great  guns,  they  were  amply  provided  with  culver- 
ins,  sakers,  falconets,  and  murtherers,  the  latter 
unpleasantly-named  pieces  being  similar  to  blunder- 
busses on  swivels,  and  loaded  with  small  shot,  and 
scraps  of  iron,  lead,  or  stones.  No  little  squad- 
ron in  those  days  could  have  been  more  amply 
equipped,  provisioned,  and  found  in  every  way,  or 
better  manned  or  commanded. 

It  must  be   remarked   that   the  pictorial  repre- 


TIIE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  29 

sentations  of  ships  of  those  days  ,give  us  a  very 
erroneous  notion  of  what  ships  really  were.  Ships 
capable  of  performing  long  voyages  in  tempestuous 
seas,  and  ships  on  tapestry  —  worked  by  fair  fingers, 
which,  however  ably  they  might  have  plied  their 
needles,  were  scarcely  capable  of  delineating  accu- 
rately those  wonderful  constructions  on  which  the 
eyes  of  the  workers  had  probably  never  rested  —  are 
very  different  from  each  other.  The  ships  now  de- 
scribed sailing  down  Plymouth  Sound  were  strong- 
ly-built craft,  with  bows  not  over-bluff  and  sides  not 
over-high.  They  had  erections  on  deck,  both  at  the 
bows  and  stern,  rising  some  five  feet  above  it,  or  a 
little  more,  perhaps,  on  the  top  of  which  men  could 
stand  for  fighting  or  working  some  of  the  sheets  and 
braces  of  the  lighter  sails,  while  the  halyards  and 
other  chief  ropes  lead  to  the  main  deck.  In  these 
said  erections,  or  castles,  as  they  were  called,  still  to 
be  seen  in  most  foreign  and  many  English  mer- 
chantmen, somewhat  modified  and  in  more  pacific 
guise,  there  were  port-holes,  with  guns  projecting 
from  them  both  at  the  sides  and  outer  ends,  and 
also  along  the  deck.  Thus  an  enemy  having  gained 
the  deck  would  be  exposed  to  a  hot  fire  from  the  de- 
fenders under  shelter  of  the  wooden  walls  of  the 
two  castles.  On  the  fore  and  main  mast  the  sails 
were  square,  and  there  were  also  staysails  fore  and 
aft.  On  the  mizzen-mast  there  was  a  large  lateen 
yard  and  sail,  such  as  is  still  seen  in  the  Mediterra- 
nean.    It  was  a  useful  and  powerful  sail  for  plying 


30  AX  TONY  WATMOUTH ;   OR, 

to  windward,  gaff-sails  not  having, then  been  invent- 
ed. The  tops  were  circular,  and  heavier  than  would 
now  be  approved  of,  but  certainly  not  the  heavy 
constructions  they  are  represented  in  pictures.  The 
holds  of  those  vessels  were  very  capacious,  and  the 
cabins  were  fitted  not  without  regard  to  comfort 
and  luxury,  and  were  often  richly  ornamented. 

Such  was  the  squadron  to  which  the  Lion 
belonged,  and  on  board  the  Lion  sailed  Antony 
Waymouth  as  master's  mate  or  chief  officer  under 
the  captain,  and  his  friend  Edward  Raymond,  to 
whom  was  awarded  the  office  of  cosmographer,  he 
being  at  the  same  time  an  adventurer  of  some  three 
hundred  pounds.  Of  the  Lion  an  honorable  gen- 
tleman, John  Wood,  was  captain,  and  Master  James 
Walker,  a  truly  worthy  man,  and  pious  withal,  the 
minister.  Captain  Lancaster,  a  man  of  renown  and 
valor,  was  the  admiral  and  general ;  and  Nicholas 
Parker,  captain  of  the  Serpent,  the  vice-admiral. 
Of  the  rest  of  the  officers  and  gentlemen  adven- 
turers it  is  not  necessary  here  to  speak.  That  they 
were  not  a  godless  or  a,  lawless  company,  intent 
only  on  plunder,  may  be  proved  by  the  following 
rules  and  articles  set  down  for  their  guidance :  — 

"  The  usual  service  appointed  by  the  Church  of 
England  to  be  said  twice  a  day.  Due  reverence  to 
be  given  to  the  ministers.  Not  to  suffer  swearing, 
dicing,  card-playing,  or  other  vain  talk.  Conspir- 
ing against  the  life  of  the  general  or  any  other  in 
authority  to  be  punished  by  death.     To  follow  the 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  31 

admiral  day  and  night?fand  no  man  to  bo  so  bold  as 
to  go  before  him.  To  speak  with  him  every  morn- 
ing and  night.  Not  to  be  more  than  an  English 
mile  from  him.  Signals  :  Not  to  give  chase  without 
the  admiral's  orders.  Watchwords:  'If  God  be 
with  us  ;'  answer,  '  Who  shall  be  against  us  ? '  If 
an  enemy  be  encountered,  rather  to  be  on  the  de- 
fensive than  the  offensive." 

Way  mouth  showed  these  articles  to  Raymond, 
observing  —  "You  see,  Ned,  we  seamen  are  not. 
the  godless  reprobates  some  who  grow  rich  upon 
our  toil  and  danger  would  wish  to  make  it  appear. 
Where  would  you  find  a  more  humble  Christian 
man  than  good  Master  Walker,  our  minister  ?  and 
surely  the  example  he  and  the  other  chaplains  of 
the  fleet  set  is  not  without  its  due  influence  among 
the  crews." 

Way  mouth  spoke  the  truth.  It  was  not  till 
many  years  after  this  that  the  character  of  the 
British  seaman  changed  very  much  for  the  worse. 
No  chaplains  were  then  sent  to  sea;  religion  was 
ignored,  and,  as  a  consequence,  the  mass  of  seamen 
became  godless,  swearing,  vicious  reprobates,  little 
better  than  heathens  in  their  religion  or  morality. 
On  board  Captain  Lancaster's  fleet,  however,  order 
was  well  maintained,  and  the  ministers  setting  a 
good  example,  religion  flourished  more  than  among 
most  communities  on  shore. 

All  honor  be  to  our  sea-going  ancestors !  They 
were  brave,  sincere,  zealous,  and  energetic  men  ; 


32  ANTOXT  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

black  was  black  with  them,  and  white  white.  They 
had,  it  must  be  owned,  some  queer  notions  as  to 
right  and  wrong,  and  honest  traders  on  the  north  of 
the  line  seemed  to  consider  themselves  justified  in 
acting  the  part  of  pirates  to  the  south  of  it.  Like 
the  Arabs  of  the  desert,  their  hand  was  against 
every  man,  and  every  man's  hand  against  them.  In 
the  East,  Spaniards,  Portugals,  Hollanders,  and 
English  were  at  ceaseless  war  with  each  other;  or 
when  the  Hollanders  pretended  to  side  with  the  lat- 
ter, it  was  simply  for  the  purpose  of  betraying  them 
and  injuring  their  commerce  in  those  parts. 

As  Raymond  stood  on  the  aftercastle  of  the  Lion, 
watching  the  fast-receding  shores  of  Old  England, 
his  spirit  sank  within  him.  He  was  thinking  —  and 
shame,  to  him  if  he  was  not  —  of  Beatrice.  Not  for 
a  moment  did  he  doubt  her  love  and  constancy ;  but 
he  thought  of  the  dangers  to  which  she  might  be 
exposed  should  troublous  times  again  arise  —  of  her 
grief  should  he  not  be  destined  to  return.  He  had 
others,  also,  whom  he  loved  at  home  ;  his  widowed 
mother,  his  brothers,  and,  above  all,  his  sister  Con- 
stance, the  dear  friend  of  his  Beatrice,  unlike  her 
in  appearance,  for  Constance  was  a  dark-eyed,  dark- 
haired  beauty,  full  of  life  and  animation,  but  like 
her  in  goodness  and  sense,  and  the  sweetness  of  her 
disposition.  Hugh  Willoughby  affected  her,  but  it 
was  evidently  with  a  mere  boyish  admiration,  and 
she  regarded  him  in  no  other  light  than  as  her 
friend's  brother. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  33 

9 

Edward's  reveries  were  broken  in  on  by  Way- 
mouth,  who  sprang  up  on  the  deck  of  the  aftercastle 
and  clapped  him,  as  was  his  wont,  on  the  shoulder, 
exclaiming  — 

"  What !  disconsolate,  Ned  ?  Turn  thee  about, 
lad ;  the  old  country  will  not  move  till  we  come 
back,  depend  on  that.  Look  ahead !  that's  the  way 
we  seamen  set  our  eyes.  Even  now  the  admiral 
has  made  a  signal  that  several  sail  are  in  sight 
under  all  canvas,  steering  for  the  south.  Spaniards 
or  Portugals  I  hope  they  may  prove,  and  if  so,  and 
we  come  up  with  them,  thou'lt  have  the  satisfaction 
of  enjoying  a  sea  fight  before  we've  been  forty-eight 
hours  on  the  salt  ocean." 

Edward's  attention  was  instantly  aroused.  Noth- 
ing in  the  then  state  of  his  feelings  he  would  so 
much  enjoy  as  a  battle.  Not  that  he  had  seen  one, 
nor  had  he  pictured  its  horrors  very  clearly  to  him- 
self. Had  he,  possibly  he  would  not  have  been  so 
anxious  for  it.  The  hope  of  booty  animated  the 
ship's  company  generally,  though  some  declared 
that  it  was  the  desire  to  destroy  Papists,  the  born 
enemies  of  England,  at  which  their  minister,  Master 
Walker,  severely  rebuked  them,  telling  them  that  it 
was  filthy  lucre,  and  that  alone,  they  desired,  and 
that  the  sword  was  not  the  weapon  to  win  men  over 
to  the  truth,  or  to  use  against  men  who  held  not  the 
truth. 

"  The  sword  repelleth  friends,"  he  continued. 
".Kind  words  and  gentle  usage  attract  those  who 


34  -4XT0XY   WAYMOUTH;   OR, 

have  been  our  foes.     Such  are  the  weapons  Protest- 
ants should  use  against  their  Papist  adversaries." 

Master  Walker's  plain  speaking  and  honest  deal- 
ing with  those  over  whose  spiritual  welfare  he  had 
the  charge  made  him  generally  beloved,  though  a 
few  bad  tempers  disliked  him.  To  Waymouth  and 
Raymond  he  was  a  sincere  and  warm  friend,  as  he 
was  in  truth,  as  far  as  they  would  let  him,  to  all  who 
sailed  on  board  the  fleet.  The  chase  continued ; 
but  the  strangers,  whatever  their  nation,  were  fleet 
craft.  So  far  they  had  been  gained  on  as  to  be  seen 
from  the  tops  of  the  Lion.  Though  outnumbering 
the  English,  they  continued  their  flight ;  southward 
they  sailed,  and  southward  after  them  sailed  their 
pursuers.  The  Spaniards  had  received  so  many 
severe  lessons  of  late  that  they  had  learned  to  con- 
sider discretion  the  best  part  of  valor.  Henceforth 
their  history  was  to  show  a  retrogressive  movement. 
Their  black  injustice  and  horrible  cruelties  to  the 
natives  of  Mexico  and  Peru  were  to  meet  with  just 
retribution.  The  cries  of  thousands  ascending  from 
their  inquisitorial  prisons  were  not  unheard.  Na- 
tional sins  were  to  meet  with  national  punishment. 
They  had  been  tried  in  the  balance,  and  found  want- 
ing. So  it  has  gone  on.  The  land  of  Spain,  boun- 
tifully blessed  by  Nature,  still  holds  a  people  grovel- 
ling in  the  dust  of  ignorance  and  superstition.  At 
that  time  it  is  difficult  to  overstate,  though  not  to 
believe,  the  utter  detestation  in  which  the  Spaniards 
were  held  by  all  true-hearted  Englishmen,  and  in 


THE   G  EXTLEMEX  ADVEXTUIiEIlS.  35 

which  the  Portugals  over  whom  they  hold  sway  had 
to  share.  The  chase  continued  till  night  hid  the 
strangers  from  the  sharp  eyes  of  the  men  on  the 
lookout  at  the  mast-heads.  In  vain  were  they  looked 
for  the  next  morning. 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Waymouth  as  he  walked  the 
deck  ;  "  the  world  is  round  :  Sir  Francis  Drake  has 
proved  it  so.  We'll  come  up  with  them  in  the 
course  of  the  circle."  • 

The  belief  that  the  enemy  were  ahead  urged  the 
bold  mariners  to  carry  sail  night  and  day,  so  that 
their  run  to  the  south  was  unusually  rapid.  Ray- 
mond devoted  himself  to  the  study  of  navigation 
and  to  practising  the  use  of  such  nautical  instru- 
ments as  were  then  invented  ;  nor  did  he  neglect  to 
gain  a  knowledge  of  the  object  of  the  ropes  and 
sails,  and  the  mode  of  dealing  with  a  ship  under 
various  circumstances,  so  that  Waymouth  soon  pro- 
nounced him  an  accomplished  seaman.  There  oc- 
curred but  one  event  worth  narrating  for  some 
time.  Sixteen  sail  were  seen  approaching,  and  the 
fleet  got  ready  for  action.  The  strangers,  however, 
turned  out  to  be  Hamburg  hulks  from  Lisbon  ;  but 
the  obstinate  Hollanders  refused  to  strike  to  the 
English  flag  —  a  piece  of  folly  not  to  be  borne  —  so 
they  were  fired  into  and  compelled  to  heave  to. 
Boats  were  then  sent  on  board,  and  such  articles  as 
were  likely  to  prove  useful  were  taken  out  of  them, 
it  being  evident  that  they  were  loaded  with  Spanish 
property.      They  were  then  charitably  allowed  to 


36  AJfTOJ/T  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

proceed  on  their  voyage.  We  will  not  describe  the 
mummeries  and  other  ceremonies  which  took  place 
on  crossing  the  Hue,  introduced  by  some  Genoese 
seamen  on  board,  such  as  they  said  their  country- 
men were  wont  to  indulge  in  formerly  on  passing 
through  the  "  Gut  of  Gibbelterra,"  and  now  of  late, 
in  these  same  latitudes.  It  was  not  much  to  good 
Master  Walker's  taste,  seeing  that  numerous  pro- 
fane gods  and  goddesses  of  the  sea  were  introduced 
—  Hercules  and  Orion,  and  Venus  and  Neptune, 
and  others,  Tritons  and  odd  fish  of  all  sorts.  With- 
out misadventure  the  squadron  reached  Sierra 
Leone,  where  the  blacks  were  friendly,  and,  taking 
in  water  and  fresh  provisions,  stood  across  to  the 
coast  of  Brazil.  Here  a  brighter  lookout  than  ever 
was  kept,  and  not  without  avail,  for  when  about 
eight  leagues  from  the  shore  they  descried  a  small 
Portugal  ship,  which  they  chased  and  took,  of  about 
fifty  tons'  burden,  bound  up  the  River  Plate.  She  had 
forty -two  negroes  on  board  for  Peru,  and  two  Por- 
tugal women  and  a  child  passengers,  with  some 
sugar,  rice,  and  sweetmeats.  The  next  day  another 
Portugal  ship  was  captured.  Waymouth  in  his 
journal  remarked,  "  that  the  only  riches  in  her 
besides  slaves  and  friars  were  beads,  pictures,  and 
other  spiritual  trinkets  —  furniture  designed  for  the 
use  of  a  new  monastery." 

The  pilot  of  this  ship  turned  out  to  be  an  Eng- 
lishman—  one  Dick  Carter,  from  Limehouse  —  who 
had  been  so  long  away  from  home  that  he  had 
almost  lost  all  use  of  his  native  tongue. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  37 

"  Why,  lad,  we  have  a  man  aboard — Tom  Carter 
—  from  the  same  place,"  observed  Waymouth,  as 
the  man  tried  in  broken  accents  to  narrate  his  his- 
tory. 

'  Tom  was  sent  for,  and,  sure  enough,  the  two 
proved  to  be  brothers.  Dick  gladly  consented  to 
serve  on  board  the  Lion,  and  informed  "Waymouth, 
in  gratitude  for  his  kind  treatment,  that  a  Spanish 
squadron  of  considerable  force  was  daily  expected 
in  the  Plate.  The  admiral,  however,  instead  of 
trying  to  avoid  them,  resolved  to  await  their  com 
ing,  and,  entering  the  river,  cast  anchor. 

"Now,  Ned,  we  shall  have  our  hearts'  desire," 
exclaimed  Waymouth,  as  he  stopped  for  a  minute 
near  his  friend  while  going  round  the  decks  to  see 
that  the  ship  was  ready  for  a  fight. 

The  day  was  passing  away,  when,  about  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  five  sail  of  large  ships  and 
several  smaller  ones  were  seen  rounding  a  point  in 
the  river.  The  English,  therefore,  in  warlike  man- 
ner set  their  watch,  the  trumpets  sounded,  the 
drums  beat,  and  the  admiral  opened  fire  on  the 
approaching,  enemy,  who,  however,  anchored  out  of 
shot,  the  better  to  prepare  for  the  expected  fight. 
They  were  some  little  time  in  doing  this,  and  then 
once  more  they  advanced,  it  being  now  nightfall. 
The  wind  had  dropped,  so  the  Spaniards'  boats 
towed  on  their  big  ships  with  the  intent  of  board- 
ing the  English.  Both  sides  were,  meantime, 
plying  their  guns  and  small  arms  with  vigor ;  the 


38  ANTONY  WAYMGUTH;  OR, 

English  with  the  greater  success,  as  their  men  were 
more  at  liberty.  The  Spanish  vice-admiral  was 
seen  with  two  smaller  ships  bearing  down  on  the 
Lion ;  Captain  Wood  was,  therefore,  compelled  to 
slip  his  cable,  to  prevent  them  driving  athwart  his 
hawse.  A  breeze  springing  up,  he  was  able  to  make 
sail  and  lay  the  galleon  alongside,  caring  little  for 
the  smaller  ships.  Now  began  a  most  desperate- 
fight,  the  bright  flashes  of  the  guns  making  night 
appear  like  day ;  the  rattle  of  the  small  arms,  the 
roar  of  the  heavy  ordnance,  the  sounding  of  the 
trumpets  and  drums,  the  shouts  and  shrieks  of 
combatants,  creating  a  turmoil  terrible  to  novices 
and  confusing  to  the  senses. 

The  Lion  enjoyed  a  large  share  of  the  fight,  every- 
body being  actively  engaged,  the  captain  himself 
firing  a  musket  like  the  rest.  One  of  the  Spanish 
frigates,  coming  too  near  her,  received  so  heavy  a 
storm  of  shot,  that,  one  penetrating  her  magazine, 
with  a  loud  roar  she  blew  up,  when  her  companion 
sheered  off,  not  wishing  to  share  the  same  fate. 
The  Lion  now  turned  her  whole  fury  on  the  galleon, 
which  she  kept  at  a  respectful  distance.  Suddenly 
the  galleon's  fire  ceased.  The  darkness  was  great ; 
she  could  nowhere  be  seen.  Captain  Wood  now 
stood  away  to  support  the  admiral  and  the  other 
ships  ;  they  were  hard  pressed,  though  fighting 
valiantly.  The  Lion  soon  had  an  enemy  worthy  to 
contend  with  in  a  Portugal  galleon  which  had  come 
in  with  the  Spaniards,  and  now  hoped,  by  attacking 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  ?>9 

a  ship  partly  disabled  by  a  long  combat,  to  come 
off  the  conqueror.  The  English  captain,  as  did  his 
young  lieutenant,  called  on  their  men  to  exert 
themselves  to  the  utmost  to  fight  for  the  honor  of 
Old  England.  Raymond  supported  them  bravely, 
and,  though  at  length  wounded  in  the  arm,  he  re- 
fused to  leave  the  deck.  Thus  the  fight  continued, 
Captain  Wood  making  several  attempts  to  board 
his  opponent,  which  the  latter  nimbly  avoided. 
The  admiral  and  vice-admiral  were  all  the  time 
hotly  engaged.  The  former  was  seen  to  run  a  large 
Spaniard  aboard,  when,  after  a  hot  discharge  of 
great  guns,  flames  were  observed  to  burst  forth 
from  one  ship  or  the  other,  and  thus  they  drove  by 
till  no  longer  to  be  distinguished.  The  last  seen  of 
the  Serpent  was  in  chase  of  some  Spaniard,  as  her 
tall  masts,  like  some  huge  monster  of  the  deep, 
glided  by  past  the  Lion.  Towards  morning  the 
moon  disappeared,  clouds  overspread  the  sky,  the 
Portugal  thought  it  wise  to  sheer  off,  and  the  brave 
ship's  company  of  the  Lion  waited  anxiously  for 
daylight  to  ascertain  the  fate  of  their  friends  and 
foes.  For  fear  of  the  ship  being  drifted  on  shore, 
Captain  Wood  again  anchored. 

As  soon  as  the  fight  was  over,  Waymouth  hastened 
to  look  for  his  friend.  He  found  him  below  in  the 
hands  of  the  surgeon.  Raymond  bore  the  pain 
bravely.     Waymouth  congratulated  him. 

"  You've  had  a  taste  of  what  a  sea  fight  is  like, 
Ned,"  he  observed.     "  Maybe  before  we  get  back 


40  ANTONY   WAYMOUTH ;   OR, 

to  Old  England  we  may  have  to  count  scores  such, 
for,  no  doubt,  the  Portugals  and  Spaniards,  and 
even  the  Hollanders,  will  give  us  plenty  of  occa- 
sions to  prove  our  valor." 

Raymond  replied  that  he  was  ready  for  another 
fight,  and  should  be  willing  to  meet  the  foes  of 
England  wherever  they  were  to  be  found. 

It  appeared  probable  that  he  would  at  once  have 
another  opportunity,  for,  as  daylight  broke,  a  large 
ship  was  discerned  bearing  down  on  them  under  all 
sail.  She  was  the  Portugal.  The  Lion's  crew  flew 
to  their  guns,  and  as  she  came  near  plied  her  so 
well  with  their  shot  that  she  was  fain  to  sheer  off, 
and  to  stand  down  towards  the  river's  mouth.  As 
she  stood  away,  an  officer  of  rank  —  so  he  seemed 
by  his  fine  garments  and  feather  in  his  cap  — 
sprang  on  the  aftercastle,  and,  shaking  his  fist,  cried 
out  through  his  trumpet  — 

"  We  shall  meet  you  again  ere  long,  you  hated 
English,  and  then  we  shall  have  our  revenge." 

"  Let  the  dog  bark  who  runs  away.  Though  he 
shows  his  teeth  he  dare  not  use  them,"  exclaimed 
Waymouth  with  a  scornful  laugh. 

The  increasing  light  had  shown  some  way  astern 
the  topmasts  of  a  ship  out  of  the  water,  crowded  with 
people.  Was  the  foundered  ship  a  friend  or  foe  ? 
As  soon  as  they  were  clear  of  the  Portugal  ship  two 
boats  were  lowered,  and  made  towards  the  spot 
where  the  masts  appeared.  At  the  same  time  sev- 
eral boats  were  seen  putting  off  from  the  shore, 


THE   GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  41 

clearly  belonging  to  Spaniards.  When  they,  on 
their  part,  beheld  the  English  approaching,  fearing 
their  prowess,  from  which  they  had  suffered  so  much, 
they  put  back,  leaving  their  countrymen  to  their 
fate. 

The  poor  people  on  the  masts,  who  had  been 
clinging  there  for  the  greater  part  of  the  night,  held 
out  their  hands,  imploring  succor.  This  English 
sailors  have  ever  been  ready  to  give  to  those  in  dis- 
tress, whether  friends  or  foes.  The  boats,  therefore, 
approached  to  take  off  the  nearly-exhausted  people. 
Waymouth,  who  was  in  the  first  boat,  perceived,  as 
he  fancied,  the  flutter  of  a  female's  dress.  On  the 
cross-trees,  just  above  the  water,  lay  a  young  lady, 
her  head  resting  on  the  arm  of  an  old  and  dignified- 
looking  man,  while  the  two  were  further  supported 
by  four  or  five  faithful  seamen  who  clung  near  them. 
The  seamen  waved  their  hands  to  attract  the  notice 
of  the  English. 

"  Take  this  lady  off  first,"  they  cried  out.  "  Save 
her  and  her  father ;  mind  not  us." 

Waymouth  required  no  further  inducement  to 
exertion  than  the  sight  that  feminine  gear  had  ex- 
cited. The  Spanish  seamen  refrained  from  leaping 
into  the  boat  as  she  came  up  to  the  mast,  allowing 
Waymouth  to  climb  up  and  release  the  lady  from 
her  painful  and  perilous  position.  Carefully  he 
lifted  her  into  the  boat,  and  placed  her  in  the  after- 
part. 

"  Oh,  meu  pai !  meu  pai ! "  she  cried  out  in  the 


42  ANTONY   WAYMOUTH;  OK, 

tongue  of  the  Portugals  —  "Oh,  my  father!  my 
father ! " 

"  Have  no  for,  fair  lady,"  cried  Waymouth,  who 
understood  it  slightly;  "he  is  safe."  And,  spring- 
ing back,  he  assisted  the  old  gentleman  into  the 
boat.  The  latter,  as  far  as  his  exhausted  state 
would  allow,  expressed  his  thanks. 

Not  till  now  did  the  Spanish  seamen  descend  into 
the  boat.  As  soon  as  he  had  received  as  many  as 
she  could  carry,  Waymouth  returned  with  them  to 
the  Lion.  The  care  of  the  surgeon  and  good  Master 
Walker  soon  restored  the  young  lady  —  for*  young 
she  was  and  beautiful  —  to  a  state  of  consciousness 
and  quietude.  Her  nerves  had  been  sorely  shaken 
by  the  combat,  the  sinking  of  the  ship,  and  terrible 
danger  to  which  she  had  been  exposed.  Her  father, 
the  old  gentleman,  was,  it  appeared,  Dom  Joao  Pinto 
d'Almeida,  the  governor  of  a  Portugal  settlement  in 
the  East ;  she  was  the  Donna  Isabel  d'Almeida,  his 
only  child.  Though  Portugals,  they  had  taken 
passage  aboard  this  Spanish  ship,  intending  to  pro- 
ceed on  their  farther  voyage  in  the  one  which  had 
escaped  and  left  them  to  their  fate.  The  Portugal 
ship  was  the  Santa  Barba,  and  her  captain  Dom 
Pedro  de  Lima.  Dom  Joao  seemed  glad  to  hear 
that  the  Santa  Barba  had  escaped  capture,  and  sup- 
posed that  in  the  darkness  Dom  Pedro  had  not  seen 
the  wreck.  Meantime  most  of  the  people  from  the 
masts  had  been  rescued  and  brought  on  board  the 
Lion. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  AD  VENTURERS.  43 

While  the  boats  were  thus  engaged,  firing  was 
heard,  and  several  ships  were  seen  approaching, 
hotly  engaged, down  the  mighty  Plate  stream,  com- 
pared to  which  the  rivers  of  Europe  seem  but  purling 
brooks.  It  was  a  sad  fate  for  the  poor  wretches  on 
the  masts  to  be  thus  left  to  starve  or  fall  off  and  be 
drowned,  but  there  was  no  time  for  delay.  The 
Lion  lifted  her  anchor,  and  made  sail  to  join  in  the 
combat.  Her  rigging  had  been  repaired  as  far  as 
practicable,  so  that  she  was  fresh  for  the  fight.  The 
rest  of  the  English  squadron  and  four  Spaniards  or 
Portugals  were  observed  fiercely  exchanging  shots 
with  each  other.  The  enemy,  probably,  had  already 
enjoyed  a  sufficient  taste  of  the  quality  of  the 
English  to  be  tired  of  the  fight,  for  no  sooner  was 
the  Lion  observed  drawing  near  with  drums  beating, 
trumpets  braying  forth  defiance,  and  ordnance 
speaking  a  still  more  decided  language,  than  they 
steered  for  the  shore  on  either  side,  and  ran  hard 
and  fast  aground.  Some  of  the  people  in  the 
enemy's  ships  took  to  their  boats,  others  leaped 
overboard  and  swam  to  the  shore,  and  several  were 
seen  running  backwards  and  forwards  at  their  wits' 
end,  the  English  cannon  thundering  furiously  at 
them  ;  while  a  few  bold  spirits  stood  at  their  quar- 
ters, and  returned  the  fire  from  their  own  pieces. 
However,  they  could  not  long  maintain  the  unequal 
fight ;  flames  burst  forth  from  the  ports  of  the  ships, 
and  one  after  the  other,  before  any  booty  could  be 
obtained  from  them,  they  blew  up,  till  not  a  Span- 


44  ANTONY  WAY  MOUTH;  OR, 

iard  remained  to  dispute  the  passage  of  the  river. 
Now  the  English  admiral  thought  fit  to  anchor  his 
fleet  opposite  a  pleasant  spot  near  the  mouth  of  the 
river,  and,  the  larger  number  of  the  company  land- 
ing, a  fort  was  erected  to  guard  against  surprise, 
and  the  repairing  of  the  ships  commenced. 

As  yet  they  had  gained  much  of  what  men  call 
glory  and  renown,  concerning  the  value  of  which 
there  may  be  some  dispute  ;  but  they  had  obtained 
no  booty,  about  the  desirableness  of  which  there  can- 
not be  two  opinions.  So  thought  the  adventurers. 
They  were  all  eager,  therefore,  to  proceed  to  the 
East,  where  they  expected  to  find  it  in  abundance, 
and  accordingly  hurried  on  the  refitting  of  the  ships. 
It  was  well  that  they  did  so,  for  scarcely  was  the 
squadron  once  more  clear  of  the  laud  than  a  large 
fleet  was  seen  approaching  the  mouth  of  the  river. 
The  English  ships  stood  on  their  course,  for  the 
strangers,  undoubtedly  Spaniards  and  Portugal?, 
were  too  numerous  to  be  trifled  with.  The  enemy 
were  soon  seen  to  make  sail  in  chase.  The  English 
set  all  their  canvas,  not  to  avoid  the  fight,  but  to 
separate  the  ships  of  the  enemy,  so  as  to  deal  first 
with  the  faster  sailers.  The  plan  answered ;  but 
the  leading  Spanish  ships  soon  got  such  a  taste  of 
the  guns  of  the  Dragon,  the  Serpent,  and  the  Lion, 
that  they  dropped  astern,  the  rest  not  deeming  it 
prudent  to  take  their  places,  content  with  boasting 
that  they  had  put  an  English  squadron  to  flight. 

Thus  triumphantly  the  English  ships  sailed  on 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  45 

their  way  across  the  Atlantic  till  they  neared  the 
Cape  Bona  Spei,  or  Bona  Speranza,  as  in  those  days 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  was  frequently  called.  Once 
more  they  dropped  anchor  in  Saldanha  Bay,  a  place 
at  which  most  vessels  sailing  to  Cathay  were  wont 
to  touch.  The  common  people  among  the  prisoners 
had  been  left  on  shore  in  America ;  but  the  officers 
and  the  Portugal  governor  and  his  daughter,  and 
some  attendants,  had  been  carried  on,  the  admiral 
deeming  that  they  might  be  useful  to  exchange 
with  any  English  persons  of  quality  who  might  have 
been  captured  by  the  Portugals ;  or,  if  not,  that  a 
good  ransom  might  be  obtained  for  them.  Dom 
Joao  and  Donna  Isabel  remained  accordingly  on 
board  the  Lion,  where  Captain  Wood,  as  did  his 
young  lieutenant,  paid  them  all  the  attention  in 
their  power. 

Waymouth  admired  the  fair  captive.  He  could 
speak  her  language  better  than  most  on  board,  and 
many  an  hour,  not  unnaturally,  he  passed  in  her 
company.  It  is  possible  that  his  feelings  might 
have  run  away  with  him  altogether  had  he  not  had 
so  grave  a  monitor  as  Edward  Raymond  by  his  side, 
who  was  ever  whispering  that  Donna  Isabel  was  of 
a  country  at  enmity  with  his,  of  a  faith  differing 
greatly  from  his,  and  that,  though  her  attractions 
were  great,  there  were  many  fair  ladies  in  England 
possessed  of  still  greater,  and  more  suited  to  be  his 
bride.  These  remarks  did  not  exactly  go  in  at  one 
ear  and  out  the  other;  but  no  sooner  did  Donna 


46  AN  TOW   WAYMOUTH;   OR, 

Isabel  appear  on  deck  than  they  were  forgotten  for 
the  time.  That  Donna  Isabel  had,  however,  any 
other  feeling  than  that  of  gratitude  for  Antony 
Waymouth,  no  one  on  board  could  say,  for  she  was 
equally  courteous  to  Raymond  and  to  all  the  other 
officers. 

Dom  Joao  meantime  was  very  anxious  to  be  lib- 
erated, as  he  wanted  to  get  to  his  government,  and 
he  was  continually  urging  his  captors  to  allow  him 
to  depart  on  board  the  first  Portugal  ship  they 
might  meet,  he  undertaking  to  pay  a  large  ransom 
for  himself  and  daughter.  Captain  Wood  was  a 
jovial-hearted  and  mannered  man.  He  laughed 
loudly  at  the  proposal. 

"  Thine  own  ransom,  worthy  senhor,  we  shall  fix 
at  not  less  than  five  hundred  golden  pieces  ;  and  for 
thy  daughter,  we  must  allow  Antony  Waymouth  to 
arrange  that." 

The  captain  spoke  in  jest,  but  to  Waymouth  the 
proposal  caused  sore  perplexity.  He  was  grieved 
to  have  to  part  with  her,  in  the  first  place.  In  the 
second,  if  he  named  a  ransom  at  what  he  consid- 
ered her  value,  it  would  be  high  indeed  ;  if  he  men- 
tioned a  small  sum,  it  would  appear  as  if  he  held 
her  in  low  esteem.  He  was  very  much  inclined  to 
quarrel  with  his  captain  on  the  matter ;  but  the 
more  perplexed  he  appeared  the  more  determined 
Captain  Wood  became  to  fix  him  to  the  point.  He 
walked  the  deck  in  a  state  of  great  agitation.  All 
sorts  of  mad  schemes  occurred  to  him. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTUEEHS.  47 

He  had  paced  up  and  down  for  some  time  when 
he  was  joined  by  Raymond,  who  had  heard  of  his 
perplexity. 

"  Let  me  judge  if  I  may  help  to  get  thee  free  of 
thy  difficulty,"  said  Raymond,  who,  having  an  older 
head  on  his  shoulders,  was  not  so  troubled  as  his 
younger  friend  about  the  matter,  "  You  have  to 
name  the  value  of  this  fair  Portugal  donna;  you 
esteem  her  very  highly  too." 

"  Yes,  indeed  I  do.  She  is  the  most  charming, 
sweet,  enchanting  creature  my  eyes  have  ever  be- 
held or  expect  to  behold,"  exclaimed  Waymouth, 
uttering  many  other  rhapsodical  expressions,  which 
his  friend  did  not  interrupt.  When  he  ceased,  the 
latter  quietly  remarked  — 

"  Well,  repeat  all  you  have  said  to  our  captain, 
and  then  declare  that,  as  she  is  above  all  price,  so 
no  price  would  pay  her  ransom,  and  that,  therefore, 
she  is  entitled  to  go  free." 

Waymouth  struck  his  forehead,  surprised  that  so 
bright  a  thought  had  never  occurred  to  him,  and, 
thanking  Edward,  hastened  to  the  captain  to  give 
his  reply. 

It  was  taken  in'  good  part ;  no  one  was  inclined 
to  gainsay  it ;  and  Dom  Joao  undertook  to  pay  the 
required  sum,  how,  when,  and  where  it  might  be 
demanded. 

"  At  your  own  castle,  when  we  can  get  there,  and 
to  whomsoever  we  may  depute,"  was  the  reply. 

Perfect  confidence  was  placed  in  Dom  Joao  that 


48  AXTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OH. 

he  would  pay  the  money.  At  that  time  the  Portu- 
gal and  the  Spaniards  were  held  in  respect  for 
their  rigid  adherence  to  the  code  of  honor  which 
they  had  laid  down  for  themselves. 

The  difficulty  was  to  find  a  ship  by  which  to  send 
them,  as  the  admiral  was  unwilling  to  go  out  of  his 
course  to  land  them.  Hitherto  the  squadron  had 
avoided  ail  disaster,  though  not  successful  in  mak- 
ing prizes.  They  were  now  in  a  part  of  the  ocean 
where  fearful  hurricanes  were  at  times  to  be  ex- 
pected, and  in  a  latitude  full  of  little-known  islands 
and  rocks ;  at  the  same  time,  they  might  hope  to 
meet  with  numerous  ships  of  the  enemy. 

Waymouth,  as  he  thought  on  having  to  part  with 
Donna  Isabel  so  soon,  became  more  and  more  down- 
cast, though  Edward  and  good  Master  Walker,  the 
minister,  and  the  other  officers,  did  their  utmost  to 
keep  up  his  spirits ;  some,  like  Raymond  and  Master 
Walker,  by  entering  into  his  feelings ;  others,  like 
Captain  Wood,  by  bantering  and  quizzing. 

"  A  sail !  a  sail !  "  was  shouted  from  the  mast- 
head, whence  a  bright  lookout  was  constantly  kept. 
Chase  was  made — the  stranger  was  overtaken.  She 
proved  to  be  a  Portugal,  a  straggler  from  a  large 
squadron  supposed  to  be  far  ahead. 

Not  a  moment  was  to  be  lost.  Every  article  of 
value  was  taken  from  her  except  the  fittings  of  her 
chief  cabin,  some  guns  for  signals,  and  provisions 
sufficient  to  last  her  till  she  could  reach  the  Malabar 
coast.     The  admiral  then  ordered  the  prisoners  to 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  49 

be  placed  in  her.     Waymouth  had  the  duty  of  con- 
veying them. 

Donna  Isabel  spoke  but  little,  keeping  her  head 
muffled  in  her  hood.  The  English  lieutenant  tried 
to  talk,  but  never  had  he  felt  so  tongue-tied.  This 
was  not  surprising.  He  could  say  nothing  definite 
about  the  future,  and  he  had  little  to  say  about  the 
past.  He  carefully  helped  her  up  the  side,  and 
placed  her  on  a  seat  on  the  deck  of  the  Tiger.  Dom 
Joao  was  profuse  in  his  expressions  of  gratitude  for 
the  treatment  he  and  his  daughter  had  received, 
and  over  and  over  again  declared  that  it  would 
afford  him  intense  satisfaction  to  pay  his  ransom 
whenever  demanded.  Waymouth,  like  a  true  sailor, 
had  hurried  below  to  see  what  arrangements  could 
be  made  for  the  comfort  and  convenience  of  Donna 
Isabel,  and,  having  pointed  out  to  the  officers  of  the 
ship  what  was  to  be  done,  had  returned  on  deck 
resolved  to  pour  out  all  his  feelings  into  her  ear, 
when  a  gun  from  the  admiral,  repeated  by  the  Lion, 
warned  him  that  he  must  not  delay  another  mo- 
ment. All  he  could  do  was  to  bow  low  as  he  passed 
the  lady  and  her  father,  utter  a  low  farewell,  and, 
leaping  into  his  boat,  pull  back  to  the  Lion  as  fast 
as  his  men  could  bend  to  their  oars.  The  squadron 
instantly  made  all  sail  in  chase  of  the  enemy  sup- 
posed to  be  ahead.  For  some  time  Waymouth  had 
too  much  to  do  to  look  towards  the  ship  on  board 
which  he  had  left  the  Portugal  governor  and  his 
daughter,  and  when  he  did  look  she  appeared  but  a 


50  ANTONY   WAYMOUTH,   OR, 

speck  on  the  horizon.  He  stood  gazing,  lost  in  a 
revery.     He  was  aroused  by  a  slap  on  the  shoulder. 

"  Look  ahead  !  that's  the  way  we  seamen  set  our 
faces,"  said  a  voice  near  him,  "  quoting  your  own 
words,  coz.    We  have  changed  places,  methinks." 

Waymouth,  looking  round,  saw  Raymond  and 
several  other  officers  standing  behind  him.  He 
heaved  a  sigh,  and  then  joined  in  the  laugh  in  which 
the  rest  were  indulging.  He  had  been  too  long  at 
sea  not  to  know  the  folly  of  growing  angry  under 
such  circumstances.  Besides,  as  he  confessed  to 
Raymond,  he  could  not  help  feeling  relieved  at 
having  no  longer  so  important  a  charge.  A  brighter 
lookout  than  ever  was  kept  on  board  the  squadron, 
that  they  might  not  pass  the  enemy.  Just  before 
noon  on  the  third  day  some  strange  sail  were 
descried  ahead.  They  increased  in  numbers :  they 
were  tall  ships.  There  could  be  no  doubt  that  they 
were  those  of  the  Portugal  fleet  they  were  in  chase 
of,  but  far  more  numerous  than  they  had  been  led 
to  expect.  Still  undaunted,  the  brave  admiral  and 
his  officers  resolved  to  attack  them.  The  Portugals 
saw  the  English  approaching,  and  no  longer,  like 
caitiffs,  flying  before  the  foe,  hauled  their  wind, 
and,  forming  a  semicircle,  prepared  to  receive  them. 
In  spite  of  the  mighty  superiority  of  the  Portugals, 
the  English  sailed  on  in  compact  order,  the  men  at 
their  guns,  their  matches  in  their  hands  ready  to 
open  fire,  every  one  in  the  fleet  prepared  for  death 
or  victory. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  51 


CHAPTER   III. 

The  Portugal  fleet,  which  the  little  English 
squadron  was  now  rapidly  approaching,  looked  for- 
midable indeed,  numbering  as  it  did  four  times  as 
many  tall  ships  as  the  latter,  but  not  a  heart  among 
the  stout  men  who  formed  the  crew  of  the  Red 
Dragon,  the  Serpent,  or  the  Lion,  the  Sunshine  or 
Moonshine,  quailed  with  the  thoughts  of  combating 
against  odds  so  great. 

Good  Master  Walker,  the  minister  of  the  Lion, 
went  round  among  the  crew  as  they  stood  at  their 
quarters,  reminding  them  that  they  were  about  to 
fight  for  their  sovereign,  their  country,  their  honor, 
and  their  religion. 

"  And,  dear  lads,"  he  added,  "  now  is  not  the 
time  to  preach  to  you  ;  but  I  have  taught  you  all 
faithfully  the  truth,  and  would  beseech  all  who 
have  listened  to  remember  and  adhere  by  it." 

The  admiral  had  formed  his  line  of  battle,  and, 
passing  by  each  ship  on  his  way  to  form  the  van, 
haiTed  through  his  speaking-trumpet,  encouraging 
the  crews  to  fight  bravely  for  St.  George  and  merry 
England,  and  promising  them,  if  they  gained  the 
victory,  the  rich  freights  of  all  the  ships  they  could 
capture.     It  was  a  bold  feat  of  the  gallant  admiral 


52  AXTOXY  WAY  MOUTH;  OR, 

thus  to  sail  into  the  very  midst  of  his  foes,  who  he 
knew  must  surround  him. 

The  Portugals  were  formed,  as  has  been  said,  in 
a  semicircle,  with  the  concave  side  of  their  line 
turned  toward  the  English,  so  that  they  might 
quickly  overlap  them  —  in  aland  fight  an  important 
point  to  gain,  but  at  sea  of  slight  advantage.  The 
English  were  formed  as  a  wedge  ;  the  Eed  Dragon 
led,  the  Serpent  following,  then  came  the  two  pin- 
naces, the  Lion  and  Lion's  Whelp  bringing  up  the 
rear. 

As  the  hostile  fleets  drew  near,  drums  began  to 
beat  and  trumpets  to  bray  forth  their  discordant 
sounds,  when,  with  a  loud  crashing  roar,  the  artil- 
lery on  both  sides  opened.  The  great  guns  sent 
forth  their  round  shots,  and  the  culverins,  sakers, 
falconets,  and  murtherers  their  death-dealing  show- 
ers of  iron  and  lead,  causing  havoc  and  destruction 
wherever  they  fell.  Ill  pleased  were  the  Portu- 
gals with  this  proceeding.  Numbers  were  falling 
on  board  every  ship.  In  vain  they  called  on  their 
saints  to  improve  their  aim  and  strengthen  their 
powder  —  the  shot  seemed  to  have  no  effect  on  the 
heretical  Englishmen  —  the  saints  paid  them  no 
attention.  They  had  found  a  Tartar,  and  sur- 
rounded him,  but  were  as  disagreeably  placed  as  if 
they  had  been  dancing  round  an  exploding  maga- 
zine. Bravely  plied  the  gallant  English  their  guns. 
As  long  as  any  one  of  them  had  legs  to  stand  on  or 
arms  to  work  with  he  refused  to  desert  his  quarters. 


THE   GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  53 

If  one  stopped  for  a  moment  from  working  his  gun, 
it  was  to  help  a  messmate  bind  a  handkerchief  round 
a  wounded  limb,  or  to  tie  one  round  his  own  leg  or 
side.  Officers  and  men  vied  with  each  other  as  to 
who  should  perform  deeds  most  worthy  of  fame. 
The  Portngals,  on  the  contrary,  though  their  trum- 
pets brayed  forth  far  louder  than  those  of  their  foes, 
forgetful  of  their  ancient  renown,  hastened  below 
the  instant  they  were  wounded,  however  slight  their 
hurts,  crying  out  for  the  medico  to  come  and  help 
them ;  and  some,  when  the  English  shots  rattled  on 
board,  were  seen  to  run  away  from  their  guns,  even 
though  unwounded.  Still,  numbers  in  so  close  a 
fight  gave  a  great  advantage  to  the  Portugals. 

The  admiral's  ship,  the  Red  Dragon,  especially 
was  hard  pressed,  the  enemy  seeming  resolved  to 
destroy  her  first,  hoping  thus  to  gain  an  easy  victory 
over  the  rest.  But  the  brave  Lancaster  was  not  a 
man  to  be  daunted.  As  fresh  foes  pressed  around 
him  he  kept  shouting  to  his  crew  — 

"The  more  the  merrier,  lads!  the  more  the  mer- 
rier !  We've  pills  enough  on  board  to  dose  them 
all  till  they'll  wish  they'd  come  to  some  other  doc- 
tor for  their  physic." 

Captain  Wood,  too,  was  scarcely  less  hard  pressed. 
He  had  sent  the  Lion's  Whelp  ahead  to  the  support 
of  the  Sunshine  and  Moonshine,  which  seemed  in 
danger  of  being  altogether  overwhelmed  by  the 
huge  ships  of  the  enemy  which  clustered  around 
them,  and  thus  the  stout  Lion  had  to  encounter 
a  whole  host  of  foes  bv  herself. 


54  A \  TONY   WAY  MOUTH;  OR, 

"  Come  one,  come  all !  "  shouted  Captain  Wood. 
"  Brave  lads,  we  are  ready  for  them  !  " 

"  Ay,  ay !  one  and  all ! "  echoed  Antony  "Way- 
mouth.  "  Hurrah  for  merry  England  !  Give  it 
them,  lads  !  A  few  more  doses  like  that  and  they'll 
cry  peccavi  and  strike  their  flags." 

"  Peccavimus  you  should  have  said,"  remarked 
Raymond,  whom  Way  mouth  was  passing  as  he  hur- 
ried from  gun  to  gun  to  assure  himself  that  all 
were  being  fought  to  the  best  advantage. 

"  Ay,  marry,  not  one,  but  fifty,  will  sing  that 
song  to-day,  coz,"  said  Antony,  laughing. 

In  truth,  even  in  the  heat  of  battle  both  officers 
and  men  indulged  themselves  in  cutting  jokes  when- 
ever an  occasion  occurred.  Not,  however,  that  the 
fight  was  any  joking  matter,  for  never  in  those  seas 
had  a  more  desperate  one  taken  place.  The  brave 
men  on  board  the  Lion  were  falling  thickly,  some 
to  rise  no  more,  others  to  be  carried  below  and 
placed  in  the  hands  of  the  surgeon,  and  to  these 
Master  Walker  was  rendering  all  the  assistance  in 
his  power,  and  affording  spiritual  counsel  and  con- 
solation at  the  same  time.  It  was  a  dark,  close 
place  down  in  the  depths  of  the  ship,  dimly  lighted 
by  two  lanterns  overhead,  with  a  table  in  the  centre 
and  hammocks  slung  on  either  side,  already  occu- 
pied by  wounded  men.  Others  lay  on  the  deck^ 
beneath,  and  one  poor  fellow  was  on  the  table,  the 
surgeon  and  his  assistants  standing  over  him  exam- 
ining a  dreadfully  shattered  limb.     Master  Walker 


THE   GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  55 

was  holding  his  hand  and  giving  him  sonic  wine,  of 
which,  with  vinegar  and  burnt  feathers,  the  place 
was  redolent,  although  they  could  not  overcome 
that  indescribable  odor,  dreadful  and  sickening, 
found  wherever  wounded  men  are  collected  to- 
gether. 

"  It  must  be  done,  lad,"  said  Master  Walker 
kindly.  "  There's  no  help  for  it ;  the  leg  must 
come  off  to  save  thy  life."  v 

"  What !  lose  my  leg !  never  again  to  dance  a 
hornpipe  on  Deerbrook  Green  among  the  lassies  of 
our  village  ?  No  more  to  come  the  double-shuffle 
and  hear  the  merry  clapping  of  the  old  people's 
hands  ?  I'd  as  lief  lose  my  life  !  But  let  the  sur- 
geon do  his  wofst,"  murmured  the  lad,  who  was  one 
of  Waymouth's  followers  ;  "  I'll  bear  it." 

"  Like  a  lion,  I  hope,  lad,"  said  the  minister  ; 
"and  pray  to  Heaven  for  strength  —  that's  where 
you'll  get  the  most." 

"  Seldom  I've  ever  gone  there  for  any  thing,"  an- 
swered the  lad  with  a  sigh,  and  then,  following  the 
good  minister,  he  endeavored  to  utter  a  prayer.  It 
soon  broke  into  groans,  for  the  surgeons  were  ope- 
rating on  his  limb,  and  these,  in  spite  of  his  resolu- 
tion, were  succeeded  by  shrieks  and  cries,  echoed 
by  many  of  his  poor  shipmates  who  lay  around  him 
in  the  same  sad  plight.  Not  even  the  roar  of  the 
cannon  overhead  and  the  crashing  of  timbers,  the 
shouts  of  the  combatants  and  the  rattle  of  the  small 
arms,  and  the  braying  of  the  trumpets  and  other 


56  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH ;  OR, 

instruments,  could  altogether  overpower  those  sad 
cries.  Yet  the  sounds  on  deck  grew  louder  and 
louder. 

"  There  must  be  terrible  work,  I  fear  me,  going 
on,  Ap  Reece,"  observed  Master  Walker  to  the 
Welsh  surgeon,  who  had  come  round  to  feel  the 
patient's  wrist ;  "  we've  had  no  one  brought  down 
for  the  last  five  minutes." 

The  surgeon  made  no  answer,  but  signed  to  the 
minister  to  pour  some  cordial  down  the  young  sea- 
man's throat.  "  More  —  more  !  or  he'll  slip  through 
our  fingers,"  he  whispered.  The  minister  obeyed. 
The  lad  opened  his  eyes,  and  turning  them  towards 
him  with  an  expression  of  gratitude,  gasped  out  — 

"  Tell  mother  I've  not  forgotten  flie  "  — 

A  convulsive  shudder  passed  over  his  frame,  the 
blood  started  from  beyond  the  tourniquet,  and  be- 
fore the  assistants  could  replace  it  the  youth  was  a 
corpse. 

"  Peace  be  with  him,"  said  the  minister  solemnly, 
as  the  body  was  quickly  removed  to  give  place  to 
another  yet  breathing  victim  of  battle.  Such  is  one 
of  the  many  dark  sides  to  the  pictures  of  warfare. 
If  this  alone  were  to  be  seen,  few  would  be  eager  for 
the  combat. 

"  No  more  coming,"  once  more  observed  the  min- 
ister. "  Either  we  must  be  hard  pressed  indeed,  or 
have  put  the  Portugals  to  flight." 

"  I  fear  me  much  the  former,"  said  Ap  Reece. 
"  I'd  lief  take  a  sword  and  go  help  our  brave  fel- 


THE   GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  »    57 

lows.  If  the  foe  gain  the  day,  they'll  not  leave  one 
of  us  alive  to  tell  the  tale.  What  say  you,  Master 
Walker  ?  will  you  come  ?  " 

"Nay,  Ap  Reece,  abide  where  you  are.  Every 
man  at  his  proper  work— you  tending-  the  hurt,  I 
speaking  the  truth  to  the  salvation  of  their  souls. 
Thus  should  we  be  found  even  were  the  end  of  the 
world  approaching." 

The  high-spirited  Welshman  returned  to  his  post, 
and  though  he  had  no  more  legs  and  arms  to  cut 
off,  there  was  ample  work  for  his  skill.  The  dread- 
ful uproar  continued.  It  was  evident  that  some  of 
the  enemy's  ships  had  got  alongside,  and  that  the 
Lion's  crew  were  engaged  in  repelling  the  Portugals 
who  were  attempting  to  board.  Who  was  gaining 
the  day  it  was  impossible  to  say.  It  was  a  time 
truly  of  anxious  suspense.  Ap  Reece  could  at 
length  endure  it  no  longer. 

"  If  you  go  not  on  deck  to  learn  how  it  fares 
with  our  men,  Master  Walker,  I  must  go  myself," 
he  exclaimed  ;  and,  seeing  that  the  minister  did  not 
move,  he  seized  a  sword  which  had  been  brought 
below  by  a  wounded  man,  and  sprang  up  the  ladder. 
The  chaplain  looked  hesitatingly  in  the  same  direc- 
tion. 

"  No,  no ;  my  duty  is  with  the  suffering  and 
dying,  though  I'd  lief  strike  a  blow  as  in  days  of 
yore  for  our  reformed  faith  and  merry  England," 
said  he  to  himself,  and  again  turned  to  attend  to  a 
sorely  wounded  man  by  whose  side  he  had  been 
sitting. 


58  AXTOXY   WAYMOUTH;   OR, 

Ap  Reece  soon  gained  the  deck ;  he  had  been  in 
many  a  fight,  but  never  in  a  more  desperate  one. 
The  Lion  was  closely  surrounded  by  a  forest  of 
masts,  with  shattered  spars,  and  burning  sails,  and 
severed  ropes  and  blocks  swinging  to  and  fro,  and 
splinters  rattling  from  aloft,  while  round  shots 
and  bullets  were  flying  thickly  about,  and  from 
every  side  the  loud  clashing  of  steel  showed  that 
the  combatants  were  striving  hand  to  hand.  The 
Portugals  were  attempting  to  board  on  every  side 
of  the  Lion,  but  no  sooner  did  they  reach  her  deck 
than  they  were  driven  back  with  loss,  and  often  fol- 
lowed on  board  their  own  ships.  A  new  combatant 
had  just  come  up  on  the  Lion's  quarter,  and  was 
pouring  his  crew  on  board.  Waymouth  caught 
sight  of  what  was  occurring,  and  with  a  handful  of 
men  sprang  to  repel  the  boarders.  Hard  pressed 
by  the  leader  of  the  Portugals,  he  was  well-nigh 
being  driven  back  at  the  moment  Ap  Reece  reached 
the  deck.  The  surgeon  saw  at  a  glance  where  his 
services  would  be  of  most  use,  and  shouting  at  the 
top  of  his  voice  a  Welsh  war-cry,  he  rushed  to  the 
lieutenant's  assistance.  Down  before  his  sturdy 
blade  went  foe  after  foe  till  he  reached  Waymouth's 
side. 

"  A  rescue  !  a  rescue  !  "  he  shouted,  and  cleaving 
to  the  chin  the  head  of  one  of  the  lieutenant's  many 
assailants,  the  rest  sprang  hastily  back,  some  into 
their  own  vessel,  and  some,  missing  their  footing, 
overboard.     "  On,  on !  "  shouted  Waymouth.    "  On, 


THE  GEXTLElfEX  ADTEXTCEERS.  59 

on,  and  the  enemy's  ours ! "  cried  Ap  Reece ;  and 
following  the  retreating  boarders  they  drove  them 
across  the  deck  of  their  ship,  cutting  down  many, 
till  the  remainder  cried  out  for  quarter,  when  their 
flag  was  hauled  down  and  the  capture  was  com- 
plete. 

"  We  have  more  prizes  to  make  before  the  day  is 
over,  lads,"  cried  Wayrnouth,  and  at  that  instant 
another  large  Portugal  ship  driving  against  the 
prize,  he,  with  the  brave  Ap  Reece  and  a  number 
of  followers,  threw  himself  on  her  deck.  So  fierce 
was  this  onslaught  that  the  enemy  did  not  stand  a 
moment,  but  tumbling  below  one  over  the  other,  or 
in  their  fright  jumping  overboard,  or  casting  down 
their  weapons,  they  allowed  speedy  possession  to  be 
taken  of  their  ship.  "Way mouth  and  his  companions 
then  lashed  the  two  prizes  together,  and  not  with- 
out difficulty  regained  the  Lion,  on  the  other  side 
of  which  more  of  the  enemy  were  congregated.  Of 
one  Captain  Wood  had  taken  possession.  Way- 
mouth  and  Ap  Reece  now  sprang  on  board  another 
about  midships,  when,  dividing  their  forces,  one 
swept  forward  and  the  other  aft,  driving  their 
loudly  vociferating  foes  before  them  till  the  Portu- 
gal's flag  was  hauled  down. 

"Hurrah !  hurrah!  my  brave  boys,"  shouted  Way- 
mouth.  "Four  prizes  in  the  Lion's  maw — the 
fattest  in  all  the  fleet,  too,  I  have  a  notion  —  one 
m0re  —  yonder  she  comes.  Strike  fast,  and  strike 
*ome." 


6Q  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  Olt, 

Thus  shouting,  he  seized  the  helm  of  the  prize, 
and  steered  her  so  as  to  fall  foul  of  yet  another  big 
Portugal  ship. 

"  Shall  we  once  more  tempt  fortune  ? "  cried 
Waymouth  to  the  fighting  surgeon.  "What  say 
you,  Ap  Reece  ?  There  must  be  ducats  not  a  few 
aboard  our  tall  friend  here." 

"But  one  answer  to  that  question.  On,  on!" 
exclaimed  the  Welshman. 

And  no  sooner  did  the  sides  of  the  two  ships 
grind  together  than  Waymouth  lashed  them  by  the 
shrouds,  and  then  sprang  on  board  the  new-comer. 
She  was  full  of  men  who  showed  every  intention  to 
defend  her ;  but  undaunted  by  numbers,  the  Eng- 
lishmen threw  themselves  among  them,  with  their 
sharp  swords  flashing  rapidly,  and  soon  hewed  a 
lane  for  themselves  from  one  side  to  the  other. 
They  had  begun  to  cut  a  second  when  the  Portu- 
gals,  dreading  the  result,  hauled  down  their  own 
flag,  and  yielded.  By  this  time  such  of  the 
Portugal  ships  as  were  in  a  condition  to  escape 
were  making  the  best  of  their  way  under  all  sail 
to  the  northward,  leaving  the  rest  in  the  hands 
of  the  English,  who  were  in  no  condition  to  follow. 
The  victors  had  indeed  suffered  severely,  though  it 
was  some  time  before  Waymouth,  and  those  with 
him,  could  ascertain  the  true  state  of  affairs.  At 
length  he  brought  his  last-captured  prize  up  to  the 
Lion,  where  the  rest  were  collected,  and  having 
secured  his  prisoners,  and  left  a  few  men  on  boar3 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  61 

to  watch  them,  he  returned  to  his  own  ship.  The 
Lion  with  her  torn  sails,  shattered  spars,  and  ropes 
hanging  in  disordered  festoons,  looked  any  thing 
but  like  a  victor,  yet  she  was  in  a  better  plight  than 
her  consorts.  Far  ahead  lay  the  admiral  with  three 
of  the  enemy's  ships  he  had  captured,  but  his  masts 
were  tottering,  and  it  was  evident  that  he  had  suf- 
fered severely  in  the  fight.  The  Serpent,  though 
she  had  taken  a  couple  of  prizes,  was  even  in  a 
worse  condition,  while  of  the  three  smaller  ships 
the  poor  little  Moonshine  had  disappeared  alto- 
gether, the  Lion's  Whelp  lay  a  dismasted  hulk  on 
the  waters,  and  the  Sunshine  appeared  in  a  sinking 
condition.  Three  prizes,  proofs  of  their  prowess, 
lay  near  them,  and  it  was  to  be  hoped  that  some  of 
the  crew  of  the  Moonshine  had  found  safety  on  board 
them. 

And  now  the  surgeon,  Ap  Reece,  his  fiery  blood 
beginning  to  cool,  bethought  him  that  he  ought  to 
go  and  look  after  his  patients  below,  while  Way- 
mouth  began  to  make  inquiries  as  to  who  had  been 
killed  and  who  wounded  among  his  shipmates.  His 
grief  was  sincere  when  he  heard  of  his  young  fol- 
lower's death.  He  looked  round,  also,  anxiously 
for  Raymond.  He  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  Was 
he  on  board  any  of  the  prizes  ?  No  ;  such  and  such 
officers  had  charge  of  them.  He  sprang  below. 
Master  Walker  could  give  him  no  tidings  of  his 
friend.  He  inquired  eagerly  of  all  the  surviving 
officers.     It  was  remembered  that  he  had  headed  a 


62  AXTOKY  WAY  MOUTH;  OR, 

party  who  had  repulsed  the  boarders  from  a  large 
Portugal  ship,  which  had  afterwards  sheered  off. 
Several  men  were  missing  who  could  not  be  ac- 
counted for,  and  it  was  supposed  possible  that  he, 
with  them,  had  gone  on  board  the  enemy,  and  that 
they  had  been  carried  off  as  prisoners.  Waymouth 
hoped  such  might  be  the  case,  as  it  was  the  only 
chance  of  again  seeing  his  friend,  but,  attached 
though  he  was  to  him,  he  had  no  time  just  then 
to  mourn  his  loss. 

Fearful  had  been  the  slaughter  on  board  the  Lion 
and  the  injuries  she  had  received,  while  so  many  of 
her  people  had  been  taken  off  to  man  the  prizes 
that  not  enough  remained  to  repair  the  damages 
which  she  had  received.  The  energies  of  every  one 
on  board  unwounded  were  taxed  to  the  utmost,  nor 
could  assistance  be  expected  from  the  other  ships, 
which  had  enough  to  do  to  look  after  their  own 
prizes.  The  ships  now  closed  up  with  each  other, 
and  the  Lion  was  able  to  hail  the  admiral's  ship. 

"  Sad  news  —  sad  news,"  was  the  answer.  "  Cap- 
tain Lancaster  was  slain  at  the  beginning  of  the 
fight,  and  though  we  have  gained  the  victory  we 
have  bought  it  with  the  loss  of  half  our  men." 

The  loss  on  board  the  Serpent  was  also  very 
great,  though  she  had  suffered  less  than  the  ad- 
miral's ship ;  but  the  Lion's  Whelp  and  the  Sun- 
shine had  lost,  in  proportion  to  their  crews,  as  many 
meff  as  the  latter ;  while  of  the  unfortunate  Moon- 
shine  scarcely  a  third  had  escaped  on  board  the 


TUB   GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  b'3 

prizes :  all  her  wounded  had  gone  down  in  her. 
The  eaptain  of  the  Serpent  was  also  desperately 
wounded,  and  Captain  Wood  sent  Waymouth  on 
board  to  sec  him  and  receive  his  orders,  as  he  was 
now  chief  in  command/  Waymouth,  finding  his 
way  among  the  dying  and  wounded,  reached  the 
cockpit  where  Captain  Nicholas  Parker  lay.  He 
was  groaning  with  anguish,  which  the  surgeon,  who 
stood  by  his  side,  was  endeavoring  to  alleviate  with 
a  cordial.  In  vain.  The  groans  continued,  but 
grew  fainter.  The  surgeon  felt  the  captain's  pulse. 
Waymouth  stopped  up. 

"  I  have  come  to  receive  orders  from  the  admiral, 
for  such  he  now  is,  since  Captain  Lancaster  has 
been  killed,"  he  said. 

"  Our  brave  captain  will  never  give  orders  more," 
answered  the  surgeon  with  much  feeling.  "•  Your 
captain,  Master  Waymouth,  will  be  admiral  ere 
many  minutes  are  over.  We've  gained  victory  at 
heavy  cost." 

Before  Waymouth  left  the  ship  Captain  Parker 
had  breathed  his  last,  and  he  pulled  hastily  back  to 
announce  the  sad  event  to  Captain  Wood,  who  had 
now  become  commander-in-chief,  but  seemed  but 
little  elated  with  the  circumstance.  Master  Walker 
was  pacing  the  deck  to  recover  from  the  effects 
of  the  close  atmosphere  he  had  endured  below,  and 
the  harrowing  scenes  he  had  witnessed. 

"  This  is  what  men  -call  glory,  and  what  young 
men  sigh  after  and  long  to  engage  in,"  he  observed, 


64  AA'TONT  WAYMOUTIT;  OR, 

while  Waymouth  stood  quiet  for  a  few  seconds  dis- 
cussing some  food  which  had  been  brought  to  him, 
for  he  had  no  time  to  go  below.  "  Look  there  ;  see 
what  man's  avarice  and  rage  and  folly  have  brought 
about  in  a  few  short  hours." 

He  pointed  with  a  melancholy  glance  at  a  num- 
ber of  slain  arranged  around  the  mainmast,  and  to 
several  wounded  who  had  been  mercifully  brought 
on  deck  to  breathe  a  purer  atmosphere  than  that  to 
be  found  below ;  then  to  the  Lion's  shattered  masts 
and  bulwarks ;  and,  lastly,  moving  his  hand  round 
to  their  almost  dismasted,  and  yet  more  shattered, 
consorts  and  prizes,  from  one  of  which,  taken  by  the 
Serpent,  at  that  instant  flames  were  seen  to  burst 
forth.  The  Lion  had  but  one  boat  which  could 
float,  and  into  her  an  officer  and  crew  jumped  and 
pulled  away  to  the  assistance  of  the  burning  vessel, 
the  men  being  urged  to  speed,  not  impossibly,  in 
the  hope  of  obtaining  some  of  the  plunder  on  board. 

The  Serpent  had  sent  off  two  of  her  boats,  and 
the  Red  Dragon  another,  but  the  Portugals  either 
would  not  go  to  the  assistance  of  their  countrymen 
or  their  boats  were  knocked  to  pieces,  or  the  officers 
in  charge  of  the  prizes  would  not  let  them  go,  for 
no  assistance  was  sent,  though  several  were  near  the 
burning  vessel.  The  boats  pulled  rapidly  through 
the  water ;  and  good  cause  they  had  so  to  do,  for 
the  flames  rose  higher  and  higher,  bursting  out  from 
all  the  ports  from  stem  to  stern  till  there  appeared 
not  a  spot  on  which  a  human  being  could  stand 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.    .  65 

unscorched  by  the  fire.  Busily  as  all  on  board  the 
Lion  were  employed,  they  stopped  to  gaze  on  the 
scene.  Even  amid  the  flames  they  could  see  the 
unhappy  men  rushing  here  and  there,  seeking  in 
vain  for  safety :  some  were  casting  themselves  into 
the  sea ;  others,  unable  probably  to  swim,  waited 
anxiously  for  the  boats.  In  vain !  in  vain !  Ere 
the  boats  reached  them  the  burning  masts  and  spars 
rose  gradually  up  from  the  hull  —  up,  up,  they  shot 
into  the  air ;  the  deck  followed,  the  flames  increas- 
ing with  tenfold  fury,  a  loud  report  announcing 
that  the  magazine  had  exploded,  and  that  the  rich 
argosy,  with  all  still  living  on  board,  had  been  hur- 
ried to  destruction.  Those  in  the  boats  pulled 
back,  endeavoring  to  avoid  the  burning  fragments 
of  spars  and  wreck  which  came  hissing  in  a  thick 
shower  around  them.  Then  recollecting  that  some 
might  yet  be  floating  near  where  the  wreck  had 
been,  like  true  British  tars  they  again  dashed  on,  in 
the  hope  of  rescuing  them.  So  rapidly  had  the 
catastrophe  occurred  after  the  first  outbreak  of  the 
fire,  that  Waymouth  had  not  moved  from  the  minis- 
ter's side. 

"There,  there-! "  continued  the  latter,  "surely 
such  work  as  that  is  the  invention  of  Satan  —  that 
roaring  lion  who  is  ever  going  about  seeking  whom 
he  may  devour.  What  mad  folly  in  men  thus  to 
yield  to  him,  and  to  destroy  each  other  at  his  will 
and  beck ! " 

"  What  you  say,  Master  Walker,  may  be  true  — 


66  AXTOSY  WAYMOUTB;  OR, 

all  very  true ;  but  we  are  in  for  it,  and  must  carry 
through  our  enterprise,  or  perish,"  exclaimed  Way- 
mouth,  with  rather  more  impatience  than  he  was 
wont  to  address  the  minister.  "  We  have  taken 
prizes  enough  to  make  every  man  of  us  wealthy  for 
the  rest  of  our  lives ;  but  our  loss  of  brave  fellows 
has  been  heavy,  I  grant  you,  and  I'd  give  up  every 
ducat  that  falls  to  my  share  for  the  sake  of  knowing 
what  has  become  of  Edward  Raymond,  and  all  the 
gold  I  may  ever  possess  to  get  him  back  safe  aboard 
here." 

"  He  was  a  worthy  gentleman,  and  I  pray  that  he 
may  still  be  reckoned  among  the  living,"  said  the 
chaplain,  and  he  was  about  to  commence  an  exhor- 
tation to  his  young  friend  when  Waymouth  was 
called  away  to  attend  to  one  of  the  numberless 
duties  which,  in  consequence  of  ihe  loss  of  many  of 
his  messmates,  now  fell  to  his  lot. 

As  soon  as  shot-holes  had  been  plugged,  the 
wounded  masts  and  spars  strengthened,  the  shrouds 
set  up,  and  damaged  rigging  repaired,  an  examina- 
tion of  the  prizes  commenced.  The  wealth  they 
contained  surpassed  even  the  expectation  of  the 
adventurers.  Besides  gold  and  silver  in  bars,  there 
were  cases  of  diamonds  and  pearls  and  other  pre- 
cious stones,  and  casks  and  cases  of  rich  spices,  and 
strange  and  rich  silks,  and  a  variety  of  other  articles 
from  India.  In  truth,  there  appeared  to  be  more 
than  enough  to  enrich  even  the  commonest  seaman 
of  the  squadron,  although  by  far  the  largest  share 
would  go  to  the  officers. 


THE   GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  G7 

Fortunately,  the  weather  remained  calm,  or  more 
of  the  ships  would  have  gone  to  the  bottom.  Every- 
one exerted  himself  to  the  utmost,  and  good  reason 
he  had  so  to  do,  for  a  storm  might  arise,  or  the 
enemy  return  with  greater  force,  and  all  the  treas- 
ure gained  by  so  much  toil  and  bloodshed  might  be 
lost. 

Before  the  day  was  over,  the  signal  was  made 
from  the  Serpent  that  Captain  Parker  had  ceased 
to  breathe.  Captain  Wood  therefore  assumed  the 
chief  command,  and  ordered  the  Red  Dragon  to 
come  near  that  he  might  go  on  board  her,  leaving 
Waymouth  in  command  of  the  Lion. 

A  consultation  of  all  the  chief  officers  was  now 
held,  and  it  was  determined  to  abandon  and  destroy 
the  Sunshine  and  Lion's  Whelp,  to  shift  their  crews 
on  board  the  two  largest  and  least  injured  of  the 
Portugal  ships,  to  select  a  third  on  board  which  to 
put  all  the  prisoners,  and  to  burn  the  remainder. 
The  plan  was  at  once  put  into  execution,  and  the 
wealth  of  all  her  prizes  was  carried  on  board  the  Lion. 
Not,  however,  till  two  days  had  passed  were  the 
prizes  sufficiently  gutted  of  their  stores  and  provis- 
ions to  be  abandoned.  A  short  time  before  night- 
fall they  were  set  on  fire ;  and  it  was  a  sad  though 
a  fine  sight  to  see  eight  tall  ships  burning  away 
together.  Master  Walker  again  had  reason  to  shake 
his  head. 

"  Another  example  of  man's  folly,"  he  exclaimed. 
"  See   yon   beautiful  fabrics,   on   which    so   much 


68  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

thought,  time,  and  labor  was  expended,  being  de- 
stroyed in  a  few  short  minutes !  " 

"  But  you  would  not  have  us  tow  the  useless 
hulls  round  the  world,  Master  Walker,  would 
you  ?  "  asked  Waymouth,  with  some  little  hastiness 
not  to  be  wondered  at. " 

"  No,  Captain  Waymouth,  but  I  would,  that  the 
hulls  were  not  useless,  and  still  freighted  with  hon- 
est merchandise,  that  we  and  the  Portugals  were  at 
peace,  as  Christian  men  should  be,  and  each  pursu- 
ing our  own  course  as  gentlemen  adventurers  for 
our  own  profit  and  advantage  and  that  of  our 
respective  countries.  When  I  joined  the  expedition 
I  understood  such  was  to  be  the  case.  We  were  to 
be  armed  to  resist  attack,  as  is  lawful  —  not  to 
attack  others,  which  is  wrong.  But  all  these  doings 
of  blood  and  destruction  have  opened  my  eyes,  and 
made  me  wish  that  I  had  remained  quiet  at  home, 
even  though  my  stipend  was  small  and  precarious. 
I  love  you  right  well,  as  you  of  a  surety  do  know, 
Captain  Waymouth,  and  I  tell  you  that  no  good  can 
come  of  these  doings. 

"  I  see  not  the  strength  of  your  reasoning,  Master 
Walker,"  said  Waymouth.  "  We  all  knew  when 
we  left  Old  England  that  we  were  embarking  in  an 
adventure  in  which  we  should  meet  with  hard  blows 
as  well  as  rich  prizes.  We  are  in  no  wise  worse 
than  Drake,  and  see  what  honors  have  been  heaped 
on  him." 

"  I  say  nothing  against  the  powers  that  be ;  and 


•  THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  69 

her  gracious  majesty  may  have  had  her  reasons  for 
honoring  Sir  Francis;  but  there  are  persons  who 
consider  his  expedition  round  the  world  as  worthy 
only  of  a  sea-rover  of  old  or  of  a  downright  pirate," 
observed  the  minister. 

"Let  be,  let  be,  Master  Walker,"  exclaimed  Way- 
mouth  petulantly  ;  "  I  can  brook  more  from  you 
than  from  any  man  alive,  but  I  have  heard  enough." 

The  minister  was  too  wise  to  proceed,  but  he 
shook  his  head  mournfully. 

The  prisoners  were  now  all  collected  on  board  one 
ship.  Among  the  wild  spirits  found  among  the 
English  crews  some  were  not  wanting  who  suggested 
that  they  should  be  sent  adrift  without  compass, 
guns,  or  provisions  ;  some  even  hinted  that  to  bore 
holes  in  the  ship's  bottom  would  be  the  surest  way 
of  disposing  of  them ;  others  considered  that  it 
would  be  wise  to  keep  them  as  prisoners,  and  to 
insure  their  keeping  with  the  fleet  they  should  only 
be  furnished  day  by  day  with  the  necessary  provis- 
ions, and  that  two  ships  should  be  appointed  espe- 
cially to  watch  them.  More  generous  counsels,  how- 
ever, prevailed. 

"  No,  no,  by  my  halidom !  "  exclaimed  Captain 
Wood ;  "  Portugals  though  they  are,  they  have 
fought  bravely,  and  like  honest  gentlemen  shall  be 
treated.  We'll  give  them  arms  to  defend  their  lives, 
and  provisions  to  fill  their  insides,  and  a  compass  to 
find  their  way  to  some  one  of  their  own  ports  or  facto- 
ries on  the  coast  of  the  Indies,  and  all  we'll  demand 


70  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;   OR, 

of  them  is  that  if  they  find  any  Englishmen  in 
the  same  plight  as  they  are  themselves  that  they 
treat  them  in  the  same  way  as  they  are  treated  by 
us." 

Waymouth  warmly  seconded  the  admiral's  pro- 
posal ;  so  did  several  of  the  superior  officers,  though 
others  grumbled  at  letting  the  prisoners  off  without 
a  ransom,  or  trusting  to  their  honor  to  return  the 
favor  they  were  to  receive. 

Away  sailed  the  Portugal  ship  with  all  the  pris- 
oners on  board  ;  not,  however,  without  Waymouth 
having  extracted  a  promise  from  all  the  officers  to 
make  inquiries  for  his  friend  Raymond,  and  to  let 
him  know,  if  alive,  where  he  was  to  be  found. 
Waymouth  hoped  that  among  them  some  at  least 
would  do  their  utmost  to  redeem  their  promise. 

Once  more  the  English  fleet  was  sailing  proudly 
over  the  seas,  but  sadly  diminished  in  the  number 
of  their  men.  The  wealth  collected  seemed  prodi- 
gious in  the  eyes  of  the  crews,  and  little  short  of  that 
obtained  by  Drake  of  the  Spaniards.  Still  their 
success  only  made  them  greedy  for  more,  and  the 
seamen  especially  expressed  their  aversion  to  the 
trading  part  of  the  enterprise,  and  loudly  proclaimed 
their  desire  to  cruise  against  any  enemy  to  be 
found — Dutch,  if  Portugals  could  not  be  found,  or 
Spaniards  if  they  could  be  fallen  in  with.  Way- 
mouth, especially,  found  that  he  had  a  very  muti- 
nously inclined  crew  to  deal  with.  Who  was  the 
chief  instigator  he  determined  to  discover,  in  the 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  71 

hope  that  by  punishing  him  he  might  bring  the  rest 
under  better  discipline. 

The  officer  next  in  command  to  him  was  Miles 
Carlmgford,  an  honest,  straight-forward  seaman,  on 
whom  he  knew  that  he  could  depend  as  well  as  he 
could  on  Master  Walker  and  the  surgeon  Ap  Reece 
as  to  faithfulness  ;  but  Master  Walker  was  a  non- 
combatant,  and  would  be  averse  to  any  stringent 
measures ;  and  Ap  Reece,  from  his  hot-headed  im- 
petuosity, would  be  likely  to  betray  any  counsel 
with  which  he  was  intrusted. 

Captain  Wood  had  brought  two  cabin-boys  with 
him  —  or,  as  they  would  now  be  called,  midship- 
men—  and  these  he  had  left  under  Waymouth's 
especial  care.  Poor  fellows !  early  indeed  were 
they  to  be  initiated  into  the  stern  realities  of  life. 
It  would  have  been  difficult  to  find  a  stronger 
contrast  than  between  the  two  lads,  and  yet  they 
were  great  friends.  The  eldest,  Alfred  Stanhope, 
was  of  high  birth,  of  which  he  was  fully  conscious. 
He  was  refined  in  appearance  and  manners,  and 
was  light-hearted  and  gay  in  the  extreme.  He  was 
never  out  of  spirits  or  out  of  humor,  and  was 
utterly  indifferent  to  danger.  His  talents,  however, 
were  not  great,  and  the  knowledge  he  did  possess 
was  very  superficial.  'His  father  was  a  spendthrift 
and  a  ruined  man,  and  had  allowed  him  to  come 
to  sea  in  the  hope  of  his  being  provided  for  in  one 
way  or  another. 

His  companion,  Oliver  Marston,  was  the  son  of  a 


72  ANTONY   WAYMOUTH;   OR, 

stout  English  yeoman  to  whom  Captain  Wood's 
family  was  under  some  obligations,  and,  as  a  way 
of  repaying  him,  he  had  offered  to  take  Oliver, 
one  of  ten  sons,  on  an  adventure  through  which  he 
would  be  certain  to  secure  his  fortune.  The  lad, 
though  he  had  never  seen  a  ship  except  worked  on 
tapestry,  had  no  objection  to  go  to  sea.  He  was  a 
short,  stout,  strongly-built  little  fellow,  able  to  hold 
his  own  with  all  competitors.  While  poor  Alfred 
Stanhope  had  been  nurtured  in  the  lap  of  luxury, 
Oliver  had  been  brought  up  in  the  roughest  style, 
and  was  therefore  much  better  able  than  his  com- 
panion to  .buffet  with  the  storms  of  life  they  were 
doomed  to  encounter.  He  had  much  more  sense 
and  shrewdness  in  his  round  little  head  than  might 
have  been  supposed,  while  all  about  him' was  ster- 
ling stuff  of  the  toughest  nature,  except  his  heart, 
in  one  respect,  and  that  was  as  soft  and  gentle  as 
that  of  a  true  sailor  is  said  to  be.  Oliver  was  a 
favorite  with  Waymouth,  who,  though  he  did  not 
spoil  him,  encouraged  him  to  speak  more  openly  to 
him  than  he  allowed  any  one  else  to  do  except 
Master  Walker. 

It  was  night.  Waymouth  was  seated  in  his  cabin. 
A  lamp  hung  from  the  beam  above,  the  light  of 
which  fell  on  a  chart  he  was  anxiously  scanning. 
Unwonted  cares  oppressed  even  his  buoyant  spirit. 
His  ship  had  suffered  much  ;  he  had  a  large  amount 
of  wealth  on  board  ;  his  crew  was  much  weakened, 
some  were  disaffected,  and  he  was  about  to  enter 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  73 

seas  difficult  of  navigation,  and  where  typhoons 
might  be  expected.  He  mourned,  too,  his  friend 
Raymond's  loss,  though  he  did  not  believe  that  he 
was  dead,  but  that  he  had  been  carried  off  a  pris- 
oner by  the  enemy.  Still,  how  could  he  hear  of 
him,  and  how  rescue  him  if  he  was  a  prisoner  ? 
He  fell  into  a  re  very.  He  was  aroused  by  the 
sentry  at  the  announcement  that  an  officer  wished 
to  see  him. 

"  Let  him  come,"  was  the  answer ;  and  Oliver 
Marston  stood  before  him. 

"  What  now,  Oliver  ?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"  You  know,  Captain  Waymouth,  that  I  am  not 
a  tale-bearer ;  but  I've  just  heard  some  matters 
which  I  bethought  me  I  ought  to  convey  to  you 
without  delay,"  answered  Marston.  "  There's  mu- 
tiny in  the  ship,  sir,  or  what  may  come  to  worse." 

"  Ah  !  how  come  you  to  know  that,  boy  ?  "  asked 
the  captain  anxiously,  for  the  announcement  some- 
what confirmed  his  own  suspicions. 

The  youngster  answered  promptly  —  "It  is  my 
first  watch,  sir,  and  as  I  had  no  fancy  for  turning 
in  for  a  short  time,  I  lay  down  for  a  snooze  on  a 
chest  outside  the  boatswain's  cabin.  I  was  afraid 
of  oversleeping  myself,  so  quickly  awoke,  and  was 
about  to  jump  up,  when  I  heard  voices  near  me. 
The  words  were  spoken  in  an  undertone,  as  if  the 
speakers  desired  not  to  be  overheard.  Who  the 
speakers  were,  I  am  not  certain  ;  they  talked  of 
the  wealth  that  was  on  board,  and  how  you  and  the 


74  ANTONY  WAY  MOUTH;  OR, 

other  captains  would  get  the  lion's  share,  but  that 
if  they  acted  with  spirit  and  stuck  together  they 
might  have  the  whole  of  it." 

"  And  you  heard  the  whole  of  this,  and  were  not 
dreaming,  boy  ?  " 

"  Every  word,  sir,  and  I  was  wide  awake,"  an- 
swered Oliver. 

"  You  have  done  well  to  come  to  me  at  once," 
said  the  captain.  "  Speak  to  no  one  of  what  you 
have  heard,  and  appear  ev.en  to  your  messmates 
as  if  all  were  going  on  right.  To-morrow  morning 
I  will  communicate  with  the  admiral,  and  we  will 
soon  have  these  would-be  mutineers  in  limbo.  Have 
you  no  idea  who  were  the  speakers  ?  " 

"  I  like  not,  sir,  to  bring  an  accusation  against 
any  man  without  perfect  certainty,  but  to  the  best 
of  my  belief  there  were  Peter  Hagger,  the  boat- 
swain, and  John  Moss,  his  mate,  among  the  .chief 
speakers,"  answered  Oliver.  "  As  to  the  rest  I 
might  be  mistaken,  but  I  think  not  of  those  two. 
I  recognized  also  Dick  Soper's  voice,  and  he  is  not 
likely  to  be  left  out  if  such  work  is  proposed." 

"  He'll  swing  ere  long  at  the  yard-arm,  an'  I  mis- 
take not ;  but  enough  now,  lad,"  said  the  captain. 
"  Keep  counsel  and  your  eyes  about  you,  and  we'll 
defeat  the  rebels.  They'll  attempt  nothing  while 
we  are  with  the  admiral ;  they  know  him,  and  I 
thought  they  knew  mc  too.  Who  has  the  first 
watch  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Carlingford,  sir,"  said  Marston. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  75 

"  Tell  him  to  keep  close  up  with  the  admiral,  as 
I  want  to  speak  him  at  dawn,"  said  Waymouth ; 
"  and  call  me  should  the  weather  "give  signs  of 
change.     You  have  acted  most  eommendably." 

The  lad  took  his  leave  well  pleased  with  the 
praise  bestowed  on  him  by  his  captain,  and  very 
indifferent  to  the  danger  to  which  he  as  well  as  all 
the  officers  on  board  were  exposed. 

The  young  captain  sat  for  some  time  meditating 
on  the  matter.  He  could  not  tell  how  many  of  the 
crew  might  be  engaged  in  the  plot,  and  on  what 
support  the  conspirators  depended.  He  might  dis- 
cover who  were  the  ringleaders,  but  find  that  the 
greater  part  of  the  crew  sided  with  them.  Cau- 
tion, courage,  and  decision  would  be  required — he 
trusted  he  should  not  be  -wanting  in  either  of  the 
three.  The  last  few  days  had  been  a  time  of  unusual 
exertion  and  care.  He  required  rest  to  restore  his 
well-nigh  exhausted  energies.  Examining  his  fire- 
arms with  more  care  than  usual,  and  placing  his 
sword  by  his  side  ready  for  instant  use,  though  lie 
firmly  believed  that  no  attempt  would  be  made  by 
the  mutineers,  he  threw  himself  on  his  bed.  He  had 
resolved  to  take  the  Lion  next  morning  under  the 
guns  of  the  Red  Dragon,  and  having  informed  Cap- 
tain Wood  of  what  he  knew,  call  out  the  three  men 
whose  voices  young  Marston  recognized,  and  send 
them  on  board  the  flagship  for  punishment.  He 
soon,  however,  forgot  his  anxieties  in  a  sound  sleep. 


76  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

lie  was  awoke  by  the  voice  of  Oliver  Marston  loudly 
calling  him. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "   he  asked,  starting  up  with  his 
sword  grasped  in  his  hand. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  77 


CHAPTER    IV. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  exclaimed  the  young  captain  of 
the  Lion,  as  he  sprang  from  his  bed,  on  which  he 
had  thrown  himself  without  undressing.  He  did 
not  require  the  cabin-boy's  answer,  for  by  the  way 
the  ship  was  heeling  over  he  knew  that  it  was  blow- 
ing a  heavy  gale.  "  I  bade  you  call  me  the  instant 
there  were  signs  of  a  change  of  weather,"  he  ob- 
served as  he  hurried  towards  the  cabin-door  to  gain 
the  deck. 

"  The  ship  but  this  instant  was  struck  by  a  squall, 
sir,  and  we  are  shortening  sail  as  fast  as  we  can," 
said  Marston,  though  the  captain  did  not  stay  to 
hear  his  last  words. 

The  deck  of  the  Lion  appeared,  as  the  captain 
reached  it,  to  be  a  scene  of  the  greatest  confusion. 
Showers  of  spray,  torn  up  from  the  ocean  by  the 
sudden  squall,  were  thrown  over  her  in  dense 
masses.  The  wind  howled  and  whistled  through 
the  rigging,  the  sales  were  flapping  loudly  in  the 
gale  —  some  torn  from  their  bolt-ropes,  others  with 
the  sheets  let  go,  which  were  lashing  and  slashing 
wildly  and  twisting  into  a  thousand  knots.  Huge 
blocks,  too,  were  swinging  to  and  fro,  threatening 


78  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  Oli, 

the  seamen  with  destruction,  while  some  of  the 
spars  wounded  in  the  action  now  gave  way,  and 
their  fragments  came  thundering  down  on  deck, 
sweeping  all  before  them.  The  sea  roared,  the 
thunder  in  crashing  peals  rattled  along  the  sky,  and 
the  forked  lightning  ran  hissing  in  vivid  flashes 
from  out  of  the  dark  clouds  along  the  foaming 
waves,  and  played  round  the  ship.  The  officers 
were  shouting  to  the  men  —  many,  with  axes  and 
knives  in  their  hands,  rushing  here  and  there  at  the 
risk  of  their  lives  to  cut  clear  the  blocks  and  the 
wreck  of  the  spars,  without  which  it  was  scarcely 
possible  to  go  aloft  to  furl  the  remaining  sails. 

"Waymouth  at  once  saw  that  the  only  safe  course 
to  pursue  was  to  put  the  ship  before  the  wind.  As 
he  issued  the  required  orders  he  looked  out  for  the 
admiral's  ship,  but  the  signal  lanterns  at  her  stern 
were  nowhere  to  be  seen.  Mr.  Carlingford  asserted 
that  they  were  close  to  them  when  the  squall  struck 
the  ship ;  so  did  Stanhope,  who  did  the  duty  of  a 
signal  midshipman.  The  captain  could  only  hope, 
therefore,  that  the  admiral  had  at  once  bore  up 
when  the  hurricane  struck  his  ship.  Two  lights 
were  still  visible  in  the  direction  the  other  ships  were 
supposed  to  be,  but  at  some  distance,  and  the  Lion 
was  apparently  fast  leaving  them.  Her  crew  had 
indeed  enough  to  do  to  attend  to  themselves  —  their 
own  safety  demanded  all  their  energies.  Way- 
mouth's  firm,  commanding  voice  soon  called  order 
out  of  chaos.     The  ship  answered  her  helm,  and, 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  79 

getting  before  the  wind  once  more,  rose  on  an  even 
keel,  and  flew  rushing  on  through  the  darkness. 
Sail  after  sail  was  taken  in  —  the  loftier  masts  and 
spars  had  been  carried  away  by  the  wind,  and  were 
mostly  cut  clear  of  the  ship.  The  foretopmast  had 
escaped  being  hit  in  the  action,  and  had  stood. 
The  hurricane  was  increasing  in  power,  rolling  up 
the  ocean  into  huge  seas ;  higher  and  higher  they 
grew,  their  crests  curling  masses  of  foam,  following 
eagerly  astern  as  wild  beasts  in  pursuit  of  their  fly- 
ing prey.  Often,  while  the  forked  lightning  played 
round  the  ship,  had  the  captain  gazed  anxiously  at 
the  foretopmast  to  ascertain  how  it  stood  the  in- 
creasing pressure  deprived  of  its  usual  support. 
He  scarcely  hoped  to  save  it.  The  hurricane  gave 
no  signs  of  abating  ;  on  the  contrary,  it  was  increas- 
ing in  strength. 

"  It  must  be  done ! "  he  exclaimed,  seizing  a 
sharp  axe ;  "  better  choose  our  time  than  let  it  fall 
when  we  are  unprepared.  Volunteers  to  cut  away 
the  foretopmast ! " 

"  I'll  go,"  cried  Miles  Carlingford,  and  his  words 
were  echoed  by  several  others. 

"  No,  Carlingford ;  you  stay  to  take  care  of  the 
ship.  I  can  let  no  man  lead  but  myself  in  a  task 
of  such  peril." 

Marston  and  Stanhope  both  volunteered,  but  the 
captain  ordered  them  to  remain  with  the  lieutenant. 

Followed  by  a  daring  crew,  Waymouth  sprang 
aloft,  each  man  armed  with  axe  or  knife.     Some 


80  ANTONY  WATMOUTH;  OR, 

remained  on  deck  to  cut  the  ropes  which  led  down 
there.  All  had  their  tasks  assigned  them.  The 
least  important  ropes  and  stays  were  first  severed. 

"  Remember,  lads,  wait  till  I  give  the  word,  and 
then  cut  with  a  will,"  cried  the  captain.  As  he 
stood  on  the  top  his  axe  was  lifted  in  the  air. 
"  Cut !  "  he  shouted,  as,  gleaming  in  the  lightning, 
it  descended  with  a  force  which  half  severed  through 
the  spar.  Over  it  fell  with  a  crash  into  the  sea,  and, 
free  from  all  ropes,  floated  clear  of  the  ship.  The 
crew  uttered  a  hearty  cheer  as  the  captain  descended 
on  deck  after  the  performance  of  this  gallant  and 
skilful  act  without  the  loss  of  a  man.  None  cheered 
more  loudly  than  the  boatswain  and  his  two  mates. 

The  ship  drove  on  before  the  hurricane,  but,  re- 
lieved of  so  much  top  hamper,  she  labored  far  less 
than  she  had  been  doing.  The  storm  had  not 
abated  its  fury;  the  mad  waves  followed  fiercely 
after  the  ship,  and  leaped  up,  foam-covered,  on 
either  side,  threatening  to  fall  down  on  her  decks 
and  sweep  everybody  from  off  them,  or  to  send  the 
stout  bark  herself  to  the  bottom.  The  thunder 
roared  loudly  as  at  first,  the  lightning  flashed  vividly 
as  ever,  and  ran  its  zigzag  course  crackling  and 
hissing  through  the  air,  and  along  the  summits  of 
the  waves,  and  round  the  storm-driven  ship,  now 
seeming  to  dart  along  her  spars,  and  then  to  light 
with  a  lambent  flame  the  summit  of  her  masts. 

The  crew  were  collected  on  deck  ready  for  any 
work  required   of  them,  sheltering  themselves   as 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  81 

best  they  could  under  the  bulwarks  for  fear  of  being 
washed  away.  Way  mo  nth  stood  with  his  first  lieu- 
tenant on  the  aftercastle  away  from  the  crew.  He 
told  him  of  the  conspiracy  of  which  he  had  gained 
information. 

"  What  think  you,  Carlingford  ? "  he  added. 
"  Shall  we  seize  the  villains  now,  tax  them  with 
their  intended  crime,  and  call  on  all  who  are  for 
discipline  and  order  to  rally  round  us  ;  or  let  them 
go  on  plotting  till  they  find  a  fit  occasion  to  put 
their  plots  into  execution  ?  It  were  a  bold  stroke 
at  such  a  moment,  and  would  be  sure  of  success." 

"  No  one  would  be  found  willing  to  differ  from 
you  now,"  answered  the  lieutenant ;  "  I  doubt, 
therefore,  that  you  would  ascertain  who  are  the 
conspirators,  and  it  would  only  give  them  a  certain 
vantage-ground  by  showing  them  that  you  doubt 
their  honesty." 

Waymouth  yielded  to  this  advice,  and  allowed  the 
opportunity  of  seizing  the  supposed  mutineers  to 
pass.  He  had  no  fear  that  they  would  make  any 
attempt  to  gain  possession  of  the  ship  while  the 
gale  might  last.  In  spite  of  the  danger  in  which 
his  own  ship  was  placed,  he  turned  his  thoughts 
more  than  once  to  the  rest  of  the  squadron.  What 
had  become  of  them  ?  Were  they  still  afloat,  driven 
here  and  there  before  the  hurricane,  or  had  they  all 
met  the  fate  from  which  the  Lion  herself  had  so  nar- 
rowly escaped,  and  foundered  ?  He  could  not  help 
dreading  that  the  latter  might  have  been  the  case. 


82  ANTONY  WAYMOUTII;   OR, 

Hour  after  hour  passed  by,  and  the  wind  blew 
fiercely  as  at  the  commencement  of  the  storm.  No 
fire  could  be  lighted.  Scarcely  any  one  had  even 
tasted  food,  and  the  fierce  spirits  who  had  been 
before  inclined  to  mutiny  must  have  been  consider- 
ably tamed  by  the  buffeting  and  fasting  they  had 
been  compelled  to  undergo. 

"  I've  heard  say  that  it's  an  ill  wind  that  blows 
no  one  good,"  observed  Carlingford  to  his  captain. 
"  I  doubt  if  the  knaves  who  so  notably  were  pro- 
posing to  take  possession  of  the  ship  will  be  inclined 
to  make  the  attempt  for  some  time  to  come." 

"  We  will  keep  an  eye  on  them,  at  all  events," 
said  Waymouth.  "  In  the  present  battered  condi- 
tion of  our  good  ship,  they  will  be  too  wise  to  wish 
to  run  away  with  her,  or  all  the  labor  of  putting 
her  to  rights  would  fall  on  their  hands.  Ah,  no, 
the  rogues !  they  will  let  us  first  do  the  work  for 
them,  and  then  cut  our  throats.  I  have  met  before 
with  villains  such  as  these,  and  know  how  to  tackle 
them." 

Although  occasionally  brave  villains  are  found,  as 
a  rule  ill-doers  are  cowards  ;  and  the  would-be  mu- 
tineers on  board  the  Lion  were  no  exception  to  the 
rule.  The  captain  and  his  lieutenant  noted  those 
who  on  that  awful  night  showed  most  fear,  and  they 
proved  to  be  the  very  men  Marston  had  mentioned. 
Even  the  boatswain,  who  was  generally  a  bold  fel- 
low, evidently  shrank  from  the  performance  of  any 
duty  of  especial  danger,  and  while  the  captain  went 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  83 

aloft  to  cut  away  the  topmast  was  not  one  of  those 
who  had  volunteered  to  accompany  him,  though 
under  ordinary  circumstances  it  would  have  been 
his  duty  to  perform  the  work. 

Morning  broke  at  length  upon  the  wide  waste  of 
foam-covered  heaving  waters,  but  in  vain  did  the 
anxious  officers  of  the  Lion  look  around  for  any  of 
her  consorts.  She  herself  was  laboring  heavily. 
The  well  was  sounded.  There  were  three  feet  of 
water  in  the  hold ;  that  was  much  in  a  ship  of  the 
Lion's  build.  There  must  be  a  leak.  The  pumps 
were  manned  ;  all  hands  must  work  spell  and  spell. 
Even  then  scarcely  could  the  leak  be  kept  under. 
Those  men  who  had  shown  the  greatest  courage 
during  the  night  labored  the  hardest  now ;  the 
conspirators  worked  with  an  air  of  desperation. 

When  the  water  still  gained  on  them,  "  Let's  to 
the  spirit-room,  and  die  jovial,"  cried  one. 

"  Ay,  ay,  to  the  spirit-room ;  a  last  glass  before 
we  quit  the  world,"  was  echoed  by  several. 

Deserting  their  stations,  they  rushed  tumultu- 
ously  to  the  hold.  They  found  three  soldiers  sta- 
tioned there,  with  their  muskets  ready  to  fire. 
Strange  that  the  very  men  who  were  about  to  stu- 
pefy themselves  with  liquor,  and  so  to  go  out  of  the 
world,  were  afraid  of  dying  by  the  hands  of  their 
countrymen !  Growling  like  cowed  mastiffs  they 
shrank  back,  some  returning  to  the  deck,  and 
others  turning  into  their  hammocks,  where  they 
intended  to  remain  while  the  ship  sank. 


84  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

But  a  few  only  behaved  thus.  The  greater  num- 
ber, as  true  British  seamen  always  have  done,  re- 
mained at  their  posts  to  face  the  danger.  Their  per- 
severance was  rewarded.  About  noon  the  gale 
began  to  abate,  the  sea  to  decrease.  As  the  ship  la- 
bored less  there  was  a  hope  that  the  leaks  might  be 
got  under,  and  the  carpenters,  after  sounding,  re- 
ported that  there  was  not  more  than  the  usual  quan- 
tity of  water  in  the  well.  The  news  was  received 
with  loud  cheers  by  the  crew,  but  they  soon  found 
that  continued  exertion  would  be  necessary  to  keep 
the  ship  afloat.  The  skulkers  were  accordingly 
routed  out  of  their  berths,  and  compelled  to  take 
their  turn  at  the  pumps. 

Waymouth  well  knew  that  idleness  is  the  mother 
of  many  a  crime,  and  he  determined  that  his  crew 
should  have  no  such  excuse.  As  soon  as  the  sea 
became  calm,  there  was  ample  work  to  employ  all 
hands  in  repairing  the  damages  the  ship  had  re- 
ceived in  the  battle  and  the  storm. 

"  Any  day  we  may  meet  an  enemy,  and  the  ship 
must  be  in  a  state  to  fight  him,  lads,"  the  captain 
was  continually  remarking,  especially  when  lie  saw 
the  men  slacken  at  their  work.  A  course  had  been 
shaped  for  the  Island  of  Java,  where  in  the  Harbor 
of  Bantam  he  still  entertained  hopes  of  falling  in 
with  the  rest  of  the  squadron. 

Day  after  day  the  Lion  continued  her  voyage 
without  further  adventure,  and  every  day  saw  some 
advance  made  in  restoring  her  to  her  former  con- 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ABVENTUREIIS.  85 

dition,  so  that,  had  she  encountered  a  Portugal  ship, 
she  would  have  been  as  ready  as  ever  for  the  fight. 

In  appearance,  however,  she  still  wore  a  very 
battered  and  forlorn  state.  Such  was  the  guise  in 
which  she  at  length  entered  the  harbor  of  Bantam, 
making  the  best  show  that  was  possible,  with  ban- 
ners and  streamers  flying,  and  drums  and  fifes, 
and  other  music,  playing.  Yery  different,  how- 
ever, was  the  figure  they  made  from  what  they 
had  expected,  and  what  it  would  have  been,  had 
the  whole  English  squadron  sailed  in  at  the  same 
time.  Yery  different  also  was  the  reception  they 
received  from  the  King  of  Bantam,  in  those  days 
a  powerful  sovereign  with  a  magnificent  court  of 
nobles  dressed  in  rich  robes.  Perceiving  the  cold- 
ness of  their  reception,  Waymouth,  habiting  him- 
self in  his  most  imposing  attire,  and  taking  a 
number  of  followers,  attired  in  all  the  bravery  they 
could  command,  went  on  shore,  and,  on  obtain- 
ing admission  to  the  palace,  informed  his  majesty 
that  his  ship  was  only  the  first  of  a  large  fleet  which 
had  just  obtained  a  glorious  victory  over  the  Port- 
ugal, and  that  he  hoped  they  would  soon  enter  the 
harbor  and  spend-  a  large  portion  of  their  wealth 
among  him  and  his  people.  When  this  fact  became 
clear  to  the  royal  mind,  the  king's  conduct  under- 
went a  considerable  alteration,  and  he  seemed  now 
only  anxious  to  ascertain  how  he  could  best  please 
his  guests.  There  was  no  lack  of  entertainments 
of  all  sorts  —  fights  of  wild   animals,  shows,  and 


86  ANTONY   WAYMOUTH;  01!, 

dances.  These  served  to  amuse  the  men,  and  to 
prevent  them  from  thinking  of  the  future.  But 
Waymouth  and  his  chief  officers  could  not  get  rid 
of  their  anxiety  for  their  companions.  They  still, 
however,  lived  on  in  hopes.  In  the  mean  time,  the 
captain's  chief  uneasiness  arose  from  the  conduct 
of  the  boatswain,  who  was  clearly  endeavoring  to 
ingratiate  himself  with  the  crew  by  overlooking 
their  faults  and  shielding  them  from  punishment. 
The  consequence  was  that  the  discipline  of  the  ship, 
spite  of  all  the  captain  and  superior  officers  could 
do  to  prevent  it,  became  worse  than  it  had  ever 
been  before.  Miles  Carlingford  advised  Waymouth 
to  have  Hagger  and  his  supposed  associates  seized, 
and  run  up  to  the  yard-arm,  or  shot ;  but  there 
were  many  reasons  against  this  summary  proceed- 
ing. They  were  in  the  port  of  a  treacherous 
people,  who  would  very  likely  take  advantage  of 
any  dissensions  among  themselves,  and  it  was  im- 
possible to  say  how  many  of  the  crew  might  join 
Hagger. 

"  We  must  either  wait  the  arrival  of  the  rest  of 
the  fleet  or  seize  the  fellow  in  blue  water,  with  no 
one  to  interfere  with  us,"  answered  Waymouth. 

However,  day  after  day  passed  by,  and  week  after 
week,  and  the  fleet  did  not  appear.  It  became  at 
last  too  probable  that  they  had  all  foundered.  Still 
it  was  possible  that  they  might  have  put  into  some 
other  port  to  refit,  and  might  arrive  at  the  ren- 
dezvous after  all. 


TIIE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  87 

The  time  passed  pleasantly  enough  on  shore,  as 
great  respect  was  shown  to  the  strangers  by  the  king 
and  chiefs.  The  English,  in  return,  tried  to  make 
themselves  popular  with  all  classes,  and  traded  suc- 
cessfully with  them,  taking  care  not  to  allow  them 
to  know  the  amount  of  wealth  they  had  on  board. 
Hope  grew  meantime  fainter  and  fainter,  and  it 
struck  Waymouth  that  the  behavior  of  the  natives 
towards  them  had  of  late  changed  for  the  worse. 
Among  the  merchants  with  whom  he  had  dealings 
was  one  who  appeared  to  be  especially  honest,  and 
more  disposed  to  be  friendly  than  any  of  his  coun- 
trymen. One  day  he  made  his  appearance  on  board, 
saying  that  he  had  come  to  trade,  and  he  began  in 
the  usual  way,  but  while  so  engaged  he  contrived 
with  a  peculiar  gesture  to  give  a  paper  to  Way- 
mouth,  on  which  was  drawn  a  ship  under  full  sail. 
Above  the  ship  was  a  hand,  showing  the  very  ges- 
ture the  merchant  had  just  made.  Waymouth 
could  scarcely  fail  to  understand  the  hieroglyphic. 
That  the  merchant  wished  the  Lion  to  sail  away 
there  could  be  no  doubt.  The  expression  of  the 
man's  countenance  convinced  him  that  he  was 
friendly  and  in  earnest.  Some  danger  threatened. 
Perhaps  the  king  had  got  information  of  the  wealth 
contained  in  the  ship,  and  intended  to  seize  her. 
Whatever  enemies  they  might  have  on  shore,  there 
was  one  who  could  not  be  kept  out  of  the  ship. 
The  unhealthy  season  was  approaching.  Fever 
made  its  appearance  on  board ;  several  were  struck 


88  ANTONY  WAYMOVTn ;  OR, 

down  with  it ;  one  after  the  other  died  ;  the  sur- 
geon declared  that  the  only  way  of  saving  the 
lives  of  all  on  board  was  to  put  forthwith  to  sea. 

Once  more  the  Lion  was  ploughing  the  waters  of 
the  deep.  ."A  sail!  a  sail!"  was  the  cry.  A 
vessel  was  seen  making  for  the  harbor  of  Bantam. 
She  might  be  one  of  the  long-missing  squadron. 
Sail  was  made  in  chase.  As  the  Lion  approached, 
the  stranger  showed  the  Portugal  flag.  Hurrah ! 
another  prize  was  to  be  made.  The  thought  put 
every  one  in  high  spirits.  Even  the  sick  came  up 
from  their  beds  to  have  a  look  at  the  enemy.  The 
object  of  the  Portugal  was  to  enter  the  harbor  of 
Bantam  before  the  Lion,  under  the  belief  that  he 
would  there  find  protection.  On  sprang  the  king 
of  beasts.  It  soon  became  obvious,  unless  there 
was  a  change  of  wind,  that  the  prey  would  have 
little  chance  of  escape.  The  officers  and  crew  of 
the  Lion  eagerly  watched  the  Portugal  ship,  specu- 
lating on  the  value  of  her  cargo,  and  whether  she 
was*  likely  to  offer  resistance.  Such  an  idea  was 
generally  treated  with  scorn.  What  was  the  sur- 
prise, therefore,  of  all  on  board  to  see  the  chase 
suddenly  haul  up  her  courses  and  heave  her 
maintopsail  aback  to  await  the  coming  of  her  pur- 
suer ! 

"  Can  it  be  that  any  on  board  are  "treacherous, 
and  wish  thus  to  gain  our  favor  ? "  said  Way- 
mouth. 

"  More  likely  that  they  are  cowards  all,  and  think 


THE   GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  89 

discretion  the  best  part  of  valor,"  observed  Carling- 
ford ;  "  we  shall  soon  learn,  though." 

"Ay,  that  shall  we,"  answered  Waymouth. 
"  But,  see,  what  flags  are  those  ?  They  look  not 
as  if  the  Portugal  was  in  a  humble  mood." 

As  he  was  speaking,  several  flags  were  hoisted 
to  the  mastheads  of  the  stranger,  conspicuous 
among  all  being  that  of  Portugal  flying  above  the 
flag  of  England.  The  sight  caused  a  general  shout 
of  indignation  among  the  English  crew,  and 
doubled  their  desire  to  get  alongside  the  foe.  As 
they  got  still  nearer,  the  Portugal  once  more  let 
fall  his  sails  and  stood  boldly  towards  them,  letting 
fly  a  shot  in  defiance. 

"  Now  this  is  what  does  the  heart  good,"  ex- 
claimed "Waymouth  in  high  glee.  "  Yonder  is  a 
brave  fellow  and  a  worthy  foe.  I  had  ten  times 
rather  meet  such  a  one  than  the  coward  who  runs 
away  and  then  yields  when  he  is  caught  without 
striking  a  blow.     We  shall  take  yonder  gentleman 

—  of  that  there  is  no  doubt ;  and  it  will  be  a  satis- 
faction to  treat  him  as  a  brave  man  should  be 
treated  —  with  honor  and  distinction." 

"  I  would  that  'we  could  avoid  fighting,"  said 
Master  Walker.     "  Here  are  we  both  from  Europe 

—  two  ships,  the  remnant,  probably,  of  the  proud 
fleets  which  left  our  native  shores  —  and  we  must 
needs  set  to  work  to  knock  each  other  to  pieces. 
What,  prithee,  is  to  be  gained  by  it  ?  " 

"  Honor,  good  Master  "Walker !  honor,  which  wo 


90  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

gentlemen  of  the  sword  sigh  for  and  live  for,  not 
to  speak  of  the  golden  doubloons  and  other  articles 
of  value  with  which  these  Portugals  think  fit  to 
freight  their  ships,"  answered  Waymouth  with  a 
laugh  which  showed  the  cool  if  not  light  spirit  with 
which  he  could  enter  into  the  deadly  fight. 

Nearer  and  nearer  drew  the  two  ships.  The  Por- 
tugal was  the  first  to  fire,  and  all  his  guns  were 
aimed  high,  as  if  he  was  anxious  to  cripple  his  op- 
ponent. The  reason  was  obvious.  His  decks  were 
crowded  with  men,  and  he  hoped  by  running  on 
board  the  English  ship  to  take  her  easily  with  his 
overwhelming  numbers.  Waymouth  saw  that  his 
proper  plan  was  to  give  the  Portugals  a  wide  berth 
and  keep  firing  away  till  he  had  thinned  those  num- 
bers, at  the  same  time  that  it  was  very  much  against 
his  usual  system  and  inclination,  as  it  was  against 
that  of  his  followers. 

Now  the  guns  of  the  Lion  began  to  play  vigor- 
ously, some  of  them  being,  according  to  the  cap- 
tain's orders,  fired  high,  and  others  low.  Although 
now  and  then  her  spars  and  ropes  were  hit,  she 
was  inflicting  equal  injury  on  the  rigging  of  her 
opponent,  while  such  of  her  guns  as  were  trained 
low  were  making  fearful  havoc  among  the  people 
on  the  deck  of  the  Portugal.  She,  in  return,  was 
employing  every  manoeuvre  to  close  with  the  Lion, 
till  it  appeared  as  if  the  English  were  actually  afraid 
of  her. 

"  This  must  not  last  longer,"   exclaimed  Way- 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.       -  91 

mouth.  "  British  steel  has  seldom  failed,  how- 
ever great  the  odds.  We'll  give  the  Portugals 
their  way." 

The  remark  was  received  with  a  loud  shout  by 
his  men,  on  which  he  ordered  the  Lion  to  be  steered 
to  close  with  her  antagonist.  The  two  ships  met 
with  a  crash;  and  before  the  Portugals,  who  had 
been  mustering  on  purpose,  could  reach  the  side 
of  the  Lion,  her  gallant  crew,  led  by  Waymouth, 
had  boarded  the  enemy.  And  now,  in  truth,  was 
shown  what  English  steel  could  do ;  and  well  as 
many  of  the  Portugals  fought,  the  decks  were  soon 
cleared  of  all  but  a  gallant  few,  who,  surrounding 
the  Portugal  captain,  stood  at  bay.  That  Portugal 
captain  was  a  young  man  of  a  noble  bearing; 
though  wounded,  he  seemed  resolved  to  resist  to 
the  last. 

"Yield  thee  —  yield  thee,  brave  senhor!"  cried 
Waymouth.  "  Life  and  liberty  shall  be  yours.  I 
would  fain  not  kill  thee." 

"  To  you,  brave  Captain  Waymouth,  I  will  yield 
me,  if  you  will  order  your  men  to  refrain  from 
striking,"  was  the  answer.  "  Truly,  they  strike  so 
hard  and  fast,  that  otherwise  not  one  of  my  com- 
rades will  remain  alive." 

"  You  are  a  brave  gentleman.  It  shall  be  as  you 
desire.  We  have  met  before,  I  suspect,"  shouted 
the  English  captain,  ordering  his  men  to  let  drop 
the  points  of  their  weapons. 

The  deck,  so  lately  the  scene  of  a  fierce  conflict, 


92  ANTONY  WAYMOUTJT;   OR, 

was  in  an  instant  quiet,  though' the  planks,  slippery 
with  gore,  and  the  human  forms  strewed  thickly 
from  one  end  to  the  other,  showed  the  desperate 
nature  of  the  drama  which  had  there  been  enacted. 
The  Portugal  captain  delivered  his  sword  to  Way- 
mouth,  who  courteously  returned  it,  recognizing 
him  as 'the  bravest  of  those  captains  who  had  been 
captured  in  the  great  battle  fought  by  the  whole 
fleet  —  Don  Antonio  de  Mello  by  name.  The  prize 
was  richly  freighted,  and  as  the  Lion  would  require 
some  repairs  after  the  battle,  it  was  resolved  to 
carry  her  back  to  Bantam. 

The  return  of  the  English  so  soon  with  a  cap- 
tured enemy  raised  them  very  much  in  the  estima- 
tion of  the  people  of  Bantam,  and  proportionately 
lowered  the  Portugals.  The  repairs  of  both  ships 
were  soon  completed,  and  the  more  valuable  part 
of  the  cargo  of  the  prize  transferred  to  the  Lion. 
Waymouth's  generous  feelings  prompted  him*  to 
restore  the  captured  ship  to  Don  Antonio,  taking 
his  word  that  neither  he  nor  his  officers  or  men 
would  again  serve  against  the  English.  He  made 
the  proposal,  however,  first  to  his  own  officers,  who 
all,  with  the  exception  of  Peter  Ilagger,  readily 
agreed  to  forego  their  share  of  the  prize  that  the 
prisoners  might  have  an  opportunity  of  returning 
to  their  own  country..  The  boatswain,  on  the  con- 
trary, vowed,  that,  as  they  had  won  the  booty  by 
ha»d  fighting,  they  would  keep  it,  and  that  he  and 
many  other  good  men  that  he  knew  of  would  not 
give  up  a  nail  of  what  was  their  own. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  93 

"  Well  said,  Master  Hagger ;  let  me  know  who 
are  these  good  men  of  whom  you  speak,  and  your 
share  and  theirs  of  what  is  restored  to  the  Portugals 
shall  be  calculated  and  given  to  you,"  said  Captain 
Waymouth,  looking  sternly  at  the  boatswain.  "  I 
wish  to  deprive  no  man  of  what  he  considers  his 
own  ;  but  it  strikes  me  that  when  a  fair  estimate  is 
made  of  the  real  value  of  your  share  it  will  not  be 
worth  disputing  about." 

Notwithstanding  these  remarks  of  the  captain, 
Hagger  insisted  on  having  his  share,  but  he  was 
only  able  to  send  in  the  names  of  rather  more  than 
a  dozen  men  who  agreed  with  him.  The  super- 
cargo, or  accountant,  of  the  Lion,  was  therefore 
summoned,  and  directed  to  make  out  an  estimate 
of  the  value  of  the  shares  in  question. 

"  Now  deduct  therefrom,"  said  Waymouth, 
"  wages  of  officers  'and  crew  of  the  Portugal  to 
conduct  her  home  ;  risk  of  capture  or  loss ;  in- 
creased risk  of  loss  or  capture  of  the  Lion  in  con- 
sequence of  her  being  short-handed." 

"  In  that  case,  sir,  the  balance  is  against  Master 
Hagger  and  the  rest,"  remarked  the  accountant. 

"I  thought  as  much,"  observed  Waymouth, 
laughing. 

The  boatswain's  anger  and  disappointment  were 
very  great  when  he  found  how  the  tables  had  been 
turned,  and  that,  instead  of  gaining  any  thing,  he 
had  merely  shown  who  were  the  men  among  the 
crew  plotting  with  him. 


9-1  AX  TONY  WAYMOUTH;  On, 

The  Portugals'  satisfaction  was  very  great  when 
they  found  that  they  were  not  to  be  detained  at 
Bantam,  where,  from  the  unhealthiness  of  the  cli- 
mate during  the  hot  months,  they  could  expect  only 
to  find  graves.  Don  Antonio  warmly  expressed  his 
gratitude. 

"  I  had  some  information,  noble  captain,  which  I 
purposed  giving  before  parting,  at  all  events,  but 
which  I  have  now  a  double  gratification  in  afford- 
ing," he  said,  addressing  Waymouth.  "  During 
that  dreadful  fight,  when  your  fleet  destroyed  so- 
many  of  ours,  some  few  Englishmen  were  carried 
off  prisoners  by  those  which  escaped.  Among  them 
was  an  officer  who  belonged  to  the  Lion.  I  saw 
him  but  once,  and  his  name  I  did  not  hear,  though 
I  doubt  not  that  he  is  the  friend  whose  fate  you  so 
much  desired  to  learn.  He  is  now  a  prisoner  in 
the  Castle  of  San  Pedro,  to  the  south  of  Goa.  I 
had  resolved  to  take  the  earliest  opportunity  of 
sending  you  this  information  according  to  my 
promise,  little  supposing  that  I  should  be  able  to 
deliver  it  under,  to  me,  such  unfortunate  circum- 
stances." 

This  news  raised  Waymouth's  spirits  higher  than 
they  had  been  for  some  time.  It  made  him  feel 
almost  sure  that  Raymond  had  survived  the  battle, 
because,  as  all  the  other  officers  of  the  Lion  had 
been  accounted  for,  it  could  be  only  him  of  whom 
Don  Antonio  spoke.  On  hearing  this,  it  at  once 
flashed  across  Waymouth's  thoughts  that  he  had 


THE  GEKTLEMEN  AD  VENTURERS.  95 

done  unwisely  in  giving  the  prisoners  their  liberty 
with  so  few  conditions. 

"I  ought  to  have  bargained  that  any  English 
who  might  be  in  the  hands  of  their  countrymen 
should  promptly  be  liberated  without  ransom  ;  but 
yet  —  no;  I  have  done  a  liberal  deed,  and  I  will 
not  regret  it.  If  these  Portugals  have  any  feeling 
of  honor,  they  will  let  my  friend  go  free  when  I 
demand  him." 

From  a  subsequent  conversation  with  Don  Anto- 
nio, Way  mouth  was  compelled  to  abandon  the  last 
expressed  hope.  It  appeared  that  the  governor  of 
the  castle  of  San  Pedro  was  a  certain  Don  Lobo, 
who  was  noted  for  his  ferocity  and  avarice,  so  that 
he  was  well  called  Lobo,  which  means  in  the  Por- 
tugal tongue  a  wolf. 

Don  Antonio  stated  that  he  was  never  known  to 
do  a  noble  or  generous  act,  and  that  he  was  not 
likely  to  deliver  up  his  prisoner  unless  a  heavy  ran- 
som was  paid,  and  that  so  bitter  was  his  animosity 
against  the  English  that  it  was  possible  he  would 
not  even  set  him  at  liberty.    . 

"  Then  the  Lion  shall  force  the  wolf  to  succumb," 
exclaimed  Wayraouth.  "  I  will  not  ask  you,  Don 
Antonio,  to  fight  against  your  countrymen,  but  I 
must  beg  you  to  give  me  such  information  as  may 
assist  me  in  liberating  my  friend,  and  I  must  then 
exact  a  promise  from  you  that  you  will  not  return 
to  San  Pedro,  or  by  any  means  allow  notice  of  our 
approach  to  be  carried  there." 


96  ANTONY  WAYMOVTH;  OB, 

Don  Antonio,  without  hesitation,  gave  the  prom- 
ise required,  the  more  readily,  perhaps,  that  the 
Lion  would  have  the  start  of  him  for  some  days, 
and,  being  short  of  provisions  and  water,  he  could 
not  attempt  to  make  so  long  a  passage  as  that  from 
Bantam  to  Goa  without  being  amply  supplied  with 
both.  Yet  further  to  prevent  the  chance  of  Don 
Lobo  being  informed  of  the  approach  of  the  Lion, 
Waymouth  afterwards  extracted  an  additional  prom- 
ise from  Don  Antonio  that  he  would  not  attempt  to 
sail  for  a  week  after  her. 

"  Ned,  dear  coz,  we  shall  once  more  shake  hands, 
and  drink  a  bowl  together  to  the  health  of  thy  lady 
love,"  he  exclaimed,  apostrophizing  his  friend  while 
walking  his  quarter-deck,  as  the  Lion,  under  all 
sail,  clove  her  way  towards  the  west  through  the 
limpid  ocean. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  AD  VENTURERS.  97 


CHAPTER  V. 

Our  chronicle  takes  us  back  to  the  time  when  the 
fight  between  the  English  and  Portugal  fleets  was 
raging  most  furiously,  and  when,  to  an  inexperienced 
eye  like  that  of  Edward  Raymond,  on  finding  his 
ship  surrounded,  it  might  naturally  have  appeared 
that  victory  was  siding  with  his  foes  rather  than 
with  his  own  party.  He  believed,  however,  that  by 
a  desperate  effort  the  day  might  be  retrieved,  and 
he  gallantly  resolved  on  his  part  to  make  the  effort, 
trusting  that  others  would  be  doing  the  like  at 
the  same  moment.  Just  then  he  caught  sight  of 
Waymouth  repelling  the  boarders  from  one  of  the 
Portugal  ships,  and  so  calling  on  all  the  men  near 
to  follow,  he  led  them  on  to  the  deck  of  another  of 
the  enemy's  ships  which  had  at  that  moment  run 
alongside.  So  fierce  was  his  attack,  that  the  foe 
gave  way,  and  before  many  minutes  were  over  he 
found  himself  master  of  the  ship ;  but  in  the  mean 
time  she  had  broken  clear  of  the  Lion,  and  was 
drifting  down  on  another  Portugal  ship  coming 
freshly  into  the  fight.  The  two  were  soon  locked 
together,  and  while  he  with  his  handful  of  followers 
was  endeavoring  to  defend  his  prize  at  one  end  of 
the  ship,  a  party  of  Portugals  rushed  on  board  at 

7 


98  ANTONY   WAYMOUTH;   OH, 

the  other.  In  vain  he  fought  with  the  greatest 
heroism.  Most  of  his  followers  were  cut  down. 
Pressed  on  all  sides,  he  had  not  a  prospect  of  suc- 
cess. Another  Portugal  ship  came  up.  His  prize,  so 
gallantly  taken,  was  already  recaptured.  Unable 
to  parry  a  stroke  made  at  him,  he  was  severely 
wounded,  and  dropping  the  point  of  his  sword,  he 
yielded  himself  a  prisoner  to  the  reiterated  demands 
of  a  Portugal  captain  who  had  headed  the  chief 
body  of  his  assailants.  The  three  Portugal  ships 
had,  however,  fallen  within  the  fire  of  the  Eed  Dra- 
gon and  the  Serpent,  whose  shot  crashing  on  board 
made  them  glad  to  set  all  the  sail  they  could  spread 
and  draw  off.  As  Edward  stood  on  the  deck  and 
saw  the  shattered  condition  of  the  English  ships,  he 
could  scarcely  believe  that  the  enemy  were  really 
drawing  off;  but  when  he  afterwards  saw  some  of 
the  Portugals  actually  sinking,  and  others  with 
their  masts  gone,  he  could  not  refrain  from  uttering 
a  cheer,  faint  though  it  was,  at  the  thought  that 
his  countrymen  had  gained  the  hard-fought  victory. 
In  this  he  was  joined  by  the  few  survivors  of  his 
brave  followers,  all  of  whom  were  more  or  less 
wounded.  On  hearing  the  cheer,  some  of  the  Por- 
tugals came  towards  them  with  threatening  gestures, 
one  of  them  exclaiming,  in  tolerably  good  English  — 

"  You  are  impudent  fellows  indeed  to  cheer  when 
you  are  miserable  prisoners  on  board  the  ship  of  an 
enemy.    Do  not  you  see  that  we  are  victorious  ?  " 

"  Running  away  is  a  funny  mode  of  proving  it, 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  99 

Senhor  Portugal,"  answered  Dick  Lizard,  one  of 
the  seamen,  cocking  his  eye  at  the  speaker.  "  If 
you  had  cheered,  now,  we  might  have  thought  you 
had  won  the  day ;  but  I  sticks  to  my  opinion  that 
it's  we  have  won  the  day;  and  so  I  say,  one 
cheer  more  for  Old  England.  Old  England  for- 
ever ! " 

The  Portugal's  rage  was  so  great  that  he  would 
have  given  Dick  a  clout  on  the  head  which  would 
have  finished  his  shouting,  had  not  Raymond,  weak 
as  he  was,  stepped  forward  to  defend  his  follower, 
who  was  much  hurt. 

"  Shame  on  you,  Senhor  Portugal,"  he  exclaimed, 
standing  over  Dick  with  a  broken  spar  which  he 
had  grasped  to  defend  him.  "  What !  would  you 
strike  a  wounded  man  simply  because  he  shows  the 
satisfaction  he  feels  that  our  countrymen  are  free, 
if  not  the  victors,  and  not  as  we  are,  prisoners  ?  " 

"  You  crow  loudly  for  a  cock  with  his  leg  tied," 
said  the  man,  desisting,  however,  from  his  attempt 
to  strike  poor  Dick. 

Some  more  seamen  had  now  assembled,  threat- 
ening to  punish  the  English  for  their  audacity,  when 
their  captain  made  his  appearance  among  them, 
inquiring  the  cause  of  the  disturbance. 

"  Senhor,"  he  said,  turning  to  Edward,  "  you  are 
my  prisoifer,  though  I  wish  to  treat  you  as  a  brave 
man  and  a  gentleman ;  but  I  cannot  always  re- 
strain my  people,  who  are  somewhat  lawless  in 
their  notions ;  and  I  must  therefore  request  that, 


100  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH ;  Oil, 

whatever  may  be  the  feelings  of  your  countrymen, 
they  will  keep  them  within  bounds." 

So  many  of  the  Portugals  were  wounded,  that  it 
was  some  time  before  the  not  very  skilful  surgeons 
of  the  ship  could  attend  to  the  English,  who  had, 
and  perhaps  fortunately  for  themselves,  to  doctor 
their  own  hurts,  which  they  did,  one  helping  the 
other  in  their  own  rough  but  efficacious  way.  It 
was  pleasant  to  see  the  hardy  tars  helping  each 
other  like  brethren,  washing  and  cleansing  each 
other's  wounds  —  several  of  them  tearing  up  their 
shirts  to  bind  up  their  comrades'  limbs,  or  letting 
their  heads  rest  with  tender  care  in  their  laps. 
Those  who  had  still  strength  to  stand  anxiously 
watched  the  fast-receding  fleet  of  the  English  till 
their  loftier  masts  sank  below  the  horizon,  and  all 
hope  of  being  pursued  and  retaken  was  abandoned. 

"  Troth,  sir,  I  suppose,  then,  we  must  make  the 
best  of  a  bad  job,"  said  Lizard,  shrugging  his  shoul- 
ders. "  That's  my  philosophy.  I  learned  it  when 
I  was  a  little  chap  from  my  father,  who  was  a  great 
philosopher,  seeing  that  he  was  a  cobbler,  and  have 
stuck  to  it  ever  since,  and  never  found  it  fail. 
What's  the  odds  ?  says  I.  Why  should  a  man  sigh 
and  groan  if  he  can  laugh  ?  why  should  he  cry  and 
moan  if  he  can  sing  ?  If  things  are  bad,  they  can 
be  mended — just  as  my  father  used  to  say  of  the 
old  shoes  brought  to  him.  If  that  isn't  a  comfort, 
I  don't  know  what  is." 

Most  of  the  Portugal   ships  escaping  from  the 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  1()1 

fight  kept  together  ;  but  meeting  the  same  hurricane 
which  caused  such  fearful  havoc  among  the  English 
fleet,  they  also  were  separated,  some  going  where  so 
many  proud  argosies  have  gone  —  to  the  bottom — 
the  Santa  Maria,  the  ship  on  board  which  Edward 
found  himself,  being  left  alone  to  pursue  her  voyage. 
Edward  suffered  much  from  his  wound,  and  had  far 
from  recovered  -his  strength  when  the  Santa  Maria 
arrived  at  Goa.  Goa  was  at  that  time  the  largest 
European  settlement  in  the  East ;  and  here  the  Por- 
tugals,  to  impress  the  natives  with  the  beauty  of  the 
faith  they  professed,  had  established  that  admirable 
institution,  the  benign  Inquisition.  Here  those  edi- 
fying spectacles,  autos-da-fe,  frequently  took  place, 
when  men  of  all  ages,  women,  and  even  children, 
were  paraded  forth,  dressed  in  hideous  garments,  to 
be  burned  alive  in  consequence  of  their  unwilling- 
ness to  confess  their  belief  in  the  doctrines  held  by 
the  Church.  Our  chronicle  does  not  decide  whether 
the  Portugal  priesthood  were  right  or  wrong  in  their 
proceedings;  but,  undoubtedly,  very  few  converts 
were  made  to  the  Christian  faith,  and  the  influence 
of  their  country  in  the  East  has  long  since  decreased 
to  zero.  The  appearance  of  the  place,  though  decep- 
tive, was  in  its  favor,  and  innumerable  large  churches, 
monasteries,  and  other  public  buildings  reared  their 
1  leads  on  its  sandy  shores.  Those  were  the  days  of 
old  Goa's  grandeur  and  magnificence,  soon  to  depart 
for  ever. 

Instead,   however,   of   being    landed    here,   the 


102  AS'TOXV  WAYMOVTE;   OR, 

prisoners  were  conveyed  to  the  Fort  of  San  Pedro, 
to  the  south,  lest  inconvenient  questions  might  be 
too  often  asked  as  to  how  they  came  to  be  there, 
and  what  had  become  of  the  rest  of  the  fleet  which 
captured  them. 

The  Castle  of  San  Pedro  was  a  strong  fortress 
with  high  walls  and  towers  —  a  gloomy- looking 
place,  as  gloomy  as  any  spot  in  that  land  of  sun- 
shine can  be,  but  gloomy  undoubtedly  it  appeared 
to  poor  Edward  and  his  companions,  as,  strongly 
guarded,  they  were  conducted  through  "its  portals, 
not  knowing  when  they  might  repass  them  and 
obtain  their  liberty.  They  were  first  conducted 
into  the  presence  of  the  governor,  a  surly  old  don 
of  the  most  immovable  character ;  his  face  was  like 
smoke-dried  parchment,  with  beard  of  formal  cut, 
and  eyes  so  sunk  that  nothing  could  be  seen  but 
two  small  spots  of  jetty  hue,  overhung  with  gray 
shaggy  eyebrows.  Without  the  slightest  expression 
of  courtesy  or  commiseration,  he  at  once  commenced 
interrogating  Edward  in  the  Portugal  tongue,  order- 
ing a  yellow-skinned  trembling  clerk,  who  squatted 
at  his  side  with  a  huge  book  before  him,  to  write 
down  his  replies. 

Edward  answered  succinctly  to  all  the  questions 
put  to  him,  requesting  that,  as  prisoners  of  war,  he 
and  his  men  might  be  treated  with  the  courtesy 
usually  awarded  to  persons  in  their  position  by 
civilized  nations,  among  whom  the  Portugals  stood 
prominent. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  AD  VENTURERS.  103 

"  Call  yourselves  prisoners  of  war  !  "  exclaimed 
Don  Lobo,  pulling  his  mustaches  vehemently. 
"You  are  pirates  —  you  and  your  countrymen  — 
nothing  better ;  and  as  such  deserve  to  be  thrown 
from  the  top  of  one  of  the  towers  of  this  castle,  or 
dangled  from  one  of  the  turrets  by  a  rope,  or  shot, 
or  drowned  —  any  death  is  too  good  for  you;  burn- 
ing at  the  stake  as  heretics  —  ay,  vile  heretics  as 
you  are  —  is  most  fit  for  you.  See  that  such  is  not 
your  lot." 

Edward  made  no  reply  to  this  address,  feeling 
that  such  would  only  too  probably  exasperate  the 
petty  tyrant.  Dick  Lizard  was,  however,  not 
so  judicious.  Having  had  a  good  deal  of  inter- 
course with  the  Portugals,  he  knew  enough  of  their 
language  to  understand  what  was  said ;  so,  putting 
his  left  arm  akimbo,  and  doubling  his  right  fist,  he 
exclaimed  — 

"Call  us  pirates !  I'll  tell  you  what  you  and 
your  dastardly  crew  are,  Senhor  Don  Governor : 
you  are  a  set  of  garlic-eating,  oil-drinking  sons  of 
sea-cooks,  who  rob  the  weak  when  you  can  catch 
them,  and  run  away  from  the  strong  like  arrant 
knaves  and  cowards  as  you  are.     You  are  "  — 

What  other  complimentary  remarks  poor  Dick 
might  have  uttered  it  is  impossible  to  say ;  for  as 
he  was  beginning  his  next  sentence,  a  blow  from 
the  but-end  of  an  arquebuse  laid  him  prostrate  on 
the  floor.  Edward,  afraid  that  his  bold  country- 
man had  been  killed,  knelt  down  by  his  side.     But 


104  ANTONY  WAYMOUTB;   OR, 

Dick's  head  was  too  hard  to  succumb  to  the  strength 
of  a  Portugal's  arm,  even  when  wielding  a  heavy- 
weapon. 

"  All  right,  sir,"  he  said,  opening  his  eyes.  "  I'll 
be  at  them  again,  and  give  'em  more  of  my  mind, 
and  my  fist  too,  if  I  can  get  at  them." 

Edward,  however,  advised  him  under  the  circum- 
stances to  keep  both  one  and  the  other  to  himself, 
and,  as  he  did  not  feel  disposed  to  be  polite  to  his 
masters,  to  hold  his  tongue. 

"  Masters !  Marry,  masters,  indeed !  "  cried  Dick. 
"  If  you  says  they  are  masters,  sir,  I  suppose  they 
be ;  but  they'll  find  me  a  terrible  obstinate  servant 
to  deal  with,  let  me  tell  them." 

"  No,  don't  tell  them,  Lizard,  that  or  any  thing 
else,"  said  Edward  soothingly.  "  You  see  that  at 
all  events  we  are  in  their  power,  and  imless  they 
let  .us  go  we  may  have  some  difficulty  in  escap- 
ing." 

"Not  if  we  can  get  some  planks  to  float  on,  sir," 
whispered  Lizard.  "  That  notion  of  yours,  sir,  has 
brought  me  to  sooner  nor  any  thing.  -I  thinks  as 
how  now,  sir,  I  can  keep  a  civil  tongue  in  my  head 
to  those  baboon-faced,  sneaking,  blackguard  scoun- 
drels." 

"  Get  up,  then,  man,  and  remember  not  to  speak 
a  word  while  I  explain  your  sentiments,"  said  Ed- 
ward, glad  by  any  means  to  save  his  follower  from 
ill  treatment. 

The  Portugals,  who  fully  believed  that  the  blow 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  105 

must  have  inflicted  a  mortal  injury  on  the  man, 
fancied  that  his  officer  was  receiving  his  last  dying 
words,  a  message  to  his  distant  home,  and  did  not 
interfere  with  him.  Their  surprise,  therefore,  was 
proportionately  great  when  they  saw  him  got  up  on 
his  legs,  give  a  hitch  to  his  waistband,  and,  after 
sundry  scratches  and  pulls  at  his  shaggy  locks,  once 
more  address  the  governor. 

"  An'  may  it  please  your  honor,  Senhor  Don  Gov- 
ernor, I  axes  your  reverence's  pardon  for  calling 
you  and  your  people  yellow-faced  sons  of  sea-cooks 
(because  as  how  to  my  mind  your  fathers  and 
mothers  were  never  any  thing  so  respectable,"  he 
added  in  a  low  tone).  "  Howsomdevej*,  as  your 
honor  knows,  I  am  but  a  rough  seaman  who's  fol- 
lowed his  calling  on  the  salt  water  all  the  days  of 
his  life,  and  will  follow  it,  maybe,  to  the  end,  and 
therefore  much  manners  can't  be  expected ;  and  so, 
Senhor  Scarecrow,  or  whatever  is  your  name,  I  hope 
you'll  not  log  down  against  my  officer  here  or  my 
shipmates  any  thing  you've  heard." 

Edward,  as  soon  as  he  could  put  in  a  word,  began 
to  offer  an  interpretation  of  what  had  been  said.  It 
was  not  very  literal,  but  interpreters  are  seldom 
exact  in  translation.  He  remarked  that  his  fol- 
lower had  forgotten  himself,  that  the  blow  had 
brought  him  to  his  senses,  and  that  he  now  wished 
to  render  every  apology  in  his  power  to  one  like 
Senhor  Don  Lobo,  who  so  greatly  merited  his  re- 
spect. 


106  ANTONY  WATMOUTH;  OR, 

The  old  governor  pulled  away  at  his  beard  for 
some  time,  and  twirled  his  mustaches,  but  was  at 
length  pacified  sufficiently  to  order  the  prisoners  to 
be  carried  off  to  the  ward  prepared  for  them. 

Edward,  determined  to  maintain  a  courteous  de- 
meanor in  spite  of  the  harshness  with  which  he  was 
treated,  bowed  to  the  governor  as  he  was  marched 
off  between  two  guards,  who  seemed  to  think  that 
the  pugnacious  Englishmen  would  by  some  means 
or  other  break  away  from  them,  and  effect  their 
escape.  For  that  reason  Dick  Lizard  had  no  less 
than  six  guards,  one  on  each  side,  and  two  in  front, 
and  two  behind ;  and  certainly,  as  he  rolled  along 
with  his  sea  cap  stuck  on  the  back  of  his  head,  his 
brawny  arms  bare,  and  his  bpoad  chest  exposed,  he 
appeared  capable  of  successfully  accomplishing  any 
design  he  might  conceive  on  his  captors.  The  rest 
of  the  seamen  imitated  him  with  more  or  less  effect, 
and  were  evidently  customers  of  whom  the  Portu- 
gals  stood-  greatly  in  awe. 

The  ward  in  which  the  English  prisoners  were 
placed  was  a  room  in  a  tower  on  a  third  floor  over- 
looking the  sea.  It  might  have  made  a  not  un- 
pleasant chamber  if  nicely  fitted  up,  but  as  the  only 
aperture  to  admit  light  and  air  was  strongly  barred, 
as  the  walls  were  of  rough  stone,  the  floor  dirty, 
and  heaps  of  not  the  cleanest  straw  were  made  to 
do  duty  for  beds,  the  state  of  the  case  was  very 
different.  There  were  no  chairs  or  tables ;  so  that 
when  the  prisoners  got  tired  of  walking  about  they 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  107 

were  obliged  to  betake  themselves  to  their  heaps  of 
straw.  Here  day  after  day  passed  by.  Edward, 
however,  with  the  aid  of  Dick,  who  firmly  believed 
in  his  power  of  escaping,  kept  up  the  spirits  of  the 
party  by  inducing  them  to  tell  their  long  and  as- 
tounding yarns,  and  singing  a  variety  of  songs. 
Sometimes  their  guards  came  in  to  inquire  why 
they  were  making  so  much  noise,  but  they  were  not 
generally  interfered  with.  Occasionally  they  re- 
ceived a  visit  from  the  surly  old  governor,  when 
Edward,  instead  of  asking  for  better  quarters,  as  he 
might  reasonably  have  done,  treated  him  with  the 
same  respect  as  at  first.  Dick  Lizard  pretended  to 
do  the  same;  but  as  soon  as  the  stately  don  had 
passed  him  the  expression  of  his  features  and  his 
gestures  showed  that  his  respect  was  not  of  an 
enduring  quality.  As  the  governor  passed  along 
the  ward,  Dick  would  imitate  his  strut  and  would 
give  a  stately  bow,  now  on  one  side,  now  on  the 
other,  his  countenance  all  the  time  in  a  broad  grin. 
Even  the  warders  and  guards  were  amused  by  his 
antics,  and  for  fear  of  putting  a  stop  to  them  only 
gave  way  to  their  laughter  when  they  saw  that  the 
governor  was  not  looking  towards  them. 

"  All  right,  sir,"  said  Dick  to  Edward  one  day, 
after  he  had  been  indulging  in  more  than  his  usual 
facetiousness,  and  the  governor  had  taken  his  de- 
parture. "  To  my  mind  these  Portugals  care  very 
little  for  their  old  don,  or  they  wouldn't  laugh  at 
him  as  they  do  ;  and  it's  my  belief  that  we  shall  be 


108  ANTONY  WAY2IOUTH;  OR, 

able  to  bribe  them  to  lef  us  slip  out  one  of  these 
fine  nights  without  making  any  noise  about  it,  and 
when  the  morning  comes  we  shall  be  gone." 

Edward's  heart  beat  with  joy  at  the  thought,  but 
after  reflecting  a  little  he  answered,  with  a  sigh  — 

"  A  bright  idea,  Dick,  but  I  fear  me  much  the 
wherewithal  to  bribe  is  sadly  wanting.  The  rogues 
have  left  us  little  else  but  the  clothes  on  our  backs." 

The  seaman  gave  a  well-satisfied  hitch  to  his 
waistband  —  a  movement  indicative  of  satisfaction 
or  hesitation,  as  well  as  other  emotions  of  the  mind, 
among  nautical  characters  in  all  uges  —  and  ob- 
served — 

"  The  dons  are  not  quite  as  clever  as  they  think, 
sir.  They  left  us  our  clothes,  but  I  and  two  more 
of  us  had  lined  them  pretty  thickly  with  good 
lots  of  yellow-boys,  and  there  they  are  all  safe. 
You  know,  sir,  a  seaman  never  knows  what  may 
happen,  and  to  my  mind  it's  a  wise  custom  among 
some  of  us.  To  be  sure,  if  we  corned  to  be  cast 
away  on  a  desolate  island,  all  the  gold  in  the  world 
wouldn't  help  a  man  to  get  off  so  much  as  a  sharp 
axe  and  a  chest  of  carpenter's  tools ;  but  among 
people  with  manners  and  customs,  though  I  can't 
say  much  for  either  one  or  the  other  of  those  here- 
abouts, there's  nothing  like  gold !  " 

"  True  indeed,  Lizard,"  said  Edward,  partaking 
somewhat  of  the  confidence  of  his  follower,  at  the 
same  time  that  he  saw  more  clearly,  probably,  the. 
difficulties  in  their  way.     He  therefore  entreated 


THE   GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  109 

Dick  and  the  rest  to  act  with  the  greatest  circum- 
spection, and  to  appear  to  submit  with  perfect 
readiness  to  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  place. 
The  good  effect  of  this  conduct  was  apparent  by  the 
greater  liberty  which  the  prisoners  obtained,  and 
they  were  now  allowed  to  take  their  exercise  in  the 
open  air  on  the  flat  roof  of  part  of  the  castle. 
Thence  in  a  short  time  they  were  allowed  to  descend 
to  a  terrace  overlooking  the  sea,  where,  however, 
they  were  watched  by  several  lynx-eyed  guards 
stationed  above  them. 

It  is  seldom  that  those  shores  are  visited  by 
storms,  but  when  the  wind  does  blow  it  makes 
ample  amends  for  its  usual  state  of  quiescence.  In 
spite  of  a  gale  which  had  sprung  up,  Edward,  with 
Dick  Lizard  and  several  of  the  other  prisoners,  was 
walking  up  and  down  on  the  said  terrace,  when 
Dick,  whose  eyes  were  of  the  sharpest,  exclaimed 
that  he  saw  a  tall  ship  driving  on  before  the  gale, 
which  set  directly  on  the  coast. 

"  Alas  for  the  hapless  crew  !  "  exclaimed  Edward. 
"  I  fear  me  they  will  all  be  lost !  " 

"  Not  a  doubt  about  it,  sir,  unless  some  true- 
hearted  seamen  venture  out  to  their  rescue  when 
the  ship  strikes,  as  strike  she  must  before  many 
hours  are  over." 

"  Are  you  ready  to  go,  Lizard  ?  "  asked  Edward. 

"  An'  that  I  am,  sir,  and  all  the  rest  of  us,  I'll 
warrant,  if  a  boat  can  be  found  to  swim  in  such  a 
sea,"  answered  Dick. 


110  AXTOXY   WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

"  Then  I'll  lead  you,  my  brave  lads  !  "  said  Ed- 
ward warmly.  "  I'll  go  seek  the  governor  and  get 
from  him  a  boat  fit  for  our  purpose.  Whoever  they 
are,  I  could  not  bear  to  see  our  fellow-creatures 
perish  without  an  effort  to  save  them.  But  perhaps 
the  Portugals  themselves  will  be  eager  to  go,  and 
not  thank  us  for  making  the  offer." 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,"  answered  Dick  sturdily.  "  I've 
seen  brave  Portugals,  I'll  allow,  but  when  they 
come  out  to  this  country  all  the  good  gets  burnt 
out  of  them*" 

Dick  was  not  far  from  right.  Edward  got  access 
to  the  governor,  who  at  once  inquired  if  any  one 
was  ready  to  volunteer  to  go  to  the  rescue  of  the 
crew  of  the  ship  now  closely  approaching  the  land ; 
but  when  it  was  understood  that  the  English  pris- 
oners had  offered  to  risk  their  lives  in  the  under- 
taking, no  one  was  found  willing  to  deprive  them 
of  the  honor. 

A  fine  seaworthy  boat  was  placed  at  Edward's" 
disposal,  and  at  the  head  of  his  men,  who  were  in 
the  highest  spirits,  he  walked  out  once  more  from 
prison. 

Of  what  nation  was  the  approaching  ship  was  the 
question.  To  the  honest  tars  and  the  brave  gentle- 
men they  followed  it  mattered  nothing  whether  she 
was  friend  or  foe.  The  Portugals  had,  however, 
discovered  her  to  belong  to  their  own  people,  and 
this,  although  it  did  not  make  them  the  more  dis- 
posed to  risk  their  own  lives,  induced  them  the 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  HI 

more  willingly  to  allow  the  English  to  do  so  to  any 
extent  they  might  see  fit.  Great  was  the  eagerness 
they  exhibited  in  bringing  oars,  and  tholes,  and 
boathooks,  and  ropes  down  to  the  boat,  and  still 
more,  when  the  English  had  got  into  her,  in  launch- 
ing her  into  deep  water.  This  could  not  have  been 
done  on  the  open  beach,  on  which  the  sea  broke 
with  terrific  force,  but  she  was  hauled  up  on  the 
shore  of  a  natural  harbor  formed  by  two  ledges  of 
rocks  rising  a  considerable  height  above  the  water. 
As  the  outer  ends  circled  round  and  overlapped 
each  other,  the  water  inside  the  basin  thus  formed 
was  comparatively  smooth.  Outside,  however,  the 
sea  broke  with  terrific  fury,  threatening  to  over- 
whelm any  boat  or  other  floating  machine  which 
might  get  within  its  influence. 

Some  way  to  the  north  was  another  wide  extend- 
ing ledge  of  rocks,  towards  which  it  appeared  that 
the  unfortunate  ship  was  drifting  ;  but  even  should 
she  escape  that  particular  lodge  and  drive  on  the 
beach,  the  chance  that  any  of  those  on  board  would 
escape  was  small  indeed,  for  so  high  were  the  rollers 
and  so  powerful  the  reflux  that  once  within  their 
influence  the  stoutest  ship  could  not  hold  together 
many  minutes,  and  should  any  living  beings  washed 
towards  the  shore  escape  being  dashed  to  pieces  or 
killed  by  the  broken  planks  and  spars,  they  would 
be  carried  again  out  to  sea  and  lost.  Edward  and 
Dick  Lizard  saw  clearly  this  state  of  things,  but 
they  were  not  in  consequence  deterred  from  attempt- 


112  AXTONT  WAYMOUTH I   OR, 

ing  to  perform  their  errand  of  mercy.  They  also 
saw  that  if  they  would  be  successful  there  must  be 
no  delay.  Each  man  having  secured  his  oar  with 
a  rope,  and  himself  to  his  seat  by  the  same  means, 
Edward  gave  the  sign  to  the  Portugals  to  shove  off 
the  boat.  With  loud  shouts  they  placed  their 
shoulders  under  her  sides,  and  then,  shrieking  and 
grunting  in  concert,  they  almost  lifted  her  along 
the  sand  till  she  floated,  when  the  English  prisoners 
bringing  their  oars  into  play  shoved  her  off  into  the 
middle  of  the  basin.  Dick  Lizard  took  the  helm, 
while  Edward  stood  up  to  judge  of  the  best  moment 
for  crossing  through  the  breakers.  The  crew  went, 
steadily  to  their  work.  No  one  was  ignorant  of 
the  danger  to  be  gone  through.  At  the  entrance 
of  the  little  harbor  a  white  wall  of  water  rose  up 
before  them,  curling  round  and  topped  with  masses 
of  glittering  foam,  which  fell  in  dense  showers, 
blown  by  the  gale  over  them,  tending  to  blind  and 
bewilder  even  the  most  experienced  seaman  of"  the 
party.  Edward  was  at  first  in  despair  of  finding  a 
channel  through  which  the  boat  could  by  any  pos- 
sibility pass  and  live.  Some  of  the  Portugals  had, 
however,  assured  him  that  at  times  between  the 
intervals  of  the  heavier  seas  he  would  be  able  to  get 
through,  and  he  resolved  to  persevere  if  his  men 
were  ready  to  do  so. 

"  Ready,  ay,  ready,  every  one  of  us,  Master  Ray- 
mond," answered  Dick  Lizard,  after  the  briefest  of 
consultations  with  his  comrades.      "  Where's    the 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  113 

odds  ?  We  can  but  die  once,  whether  with  a  Por- 
tugal's bullet  through  us,  or  by  the  vomito  preito, 
or  under  yonder  foaming  seas  —  what  matters  it? 
An'  you  wish  to  go,  we,  to  a  man,  will  go  too." 

"  Thanks,  my  brave  lads  ;  and  now,  when  I  order 
you  to  give  way,  give  way  you  must,  or  be  ready  to 
back  water  at  the  word,"  exclaimed  Edward,  stand- 
ing up  in  the  stern-sheets  of  the  boat  so  as  to  com- 
mand a  view  over  the  mass  of  seething,  raging, 
roaring  water  which  rose  before  him.  Sea  after 
sea  rolled  in,  and  with  a  voice  of  thunder  broke  on 
the  rocks  with  a  force  sufficient,  it  seemed,  to  dash 
them  to  fragments ;  but,  placed  there  by  the  hand 
of  Omnipotence  to  curb  the  fury  of  the  wild  ocean, 
the  proud  waters  were  hurled  back  upon  themselves 
again  and  again,  unable  to  gain  a  foot  on  their  fixed 
confines,  shattered  into  minute  atoms  of  foam  which 
the  wind  bore  far  away  on  its  fleet  wings,  while  the 
iron  rocks  remained  fixed  as  of  old,  laughing  to 
scorn  their  reiterated  attacks. 

The  ship  meantime  was  approaching  nearer  and 
nearer  to  the  shore.  Had  she  been  drifting  directly 
on  it,  she  would  by  that  time  have  been  cast  help- 
less on  the  stern  rocks,  but  happily  part  of  her  fore- 
mast was  still  standing,  on  which  a  sail  being  set, 
her  course  was  somewhat  diagonal,  and  she  was 
therefore  longer  in  reaching  her  impending  fate 
than  had  at  first  appeared  likely  to  be  the  case. 
Now  she  rose  on  the  summit  of  a  foaming  sea,  now 
she  sank  into  the  hollow,  seemingly  as  if  never  to 


114  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

appear  again ;  but  bravely  she  struggled  ou,  like  a 
being  endued  with  life,  resolved  to  battle  to  the 
last,  yet  knowing  that  destruction  was  inevitable. 
Edward  observed  that  although  at  first  there  ap- 
peared to  be  no  difference  in  the  height  of  the 
rollers,  yet  that  after  a  time  several  of  less  apparent 
strength  came  tumbling  in  unbroken  till  they  ac- 
tually touched  the  rocks,  leaving  a  narrow  yet 
clear  space  between  them.  Through  this  space  he 
determined  to  urge  his  boat.  He  pulled  down  to 
the  very  mouth  of  the  harbor;  the  crew  lay  on 
their  oars.  A  huge  sea  came  roaring  on  majesti- 
cally, and  breaking  into  foam  almost  overwhelmed 
the  boat.  Directly  afterwards  the  clear  channel 
appeared. 

"  Give  way,  give  way,  brave  lads !  "  shouted  Ed- 
ward. 

The  boat  sprang  on.  Immediate  destruction  or 
success  awaited  them.  The  blades  of  the  oars  were 
concealed  amid  the  seething  waters  on  either  side, 
and  the  foam  came  bubbling  up  over  the  gunwales, 
but  the  boat  still  held  her  course  outward.  She 
rose  towards  the  summit  of  a  lofty  sea ;  the  men 
strained  every  nerve.  Up  she  climbed ;  then  down- 
ward she  slid  rapidly  to  meet  another  sea,  up 
which  she  worked  her  way  as  before.  Another 
and  another  appeared  in  rapid  succession  ;  she  sur- 
mounted them  all,  and  the  open  ocean  was  gained. 

Having  gained  a  sufficient  distance  from  the  land, 
they  had  to  keep  along  shore  wjth  the  sea  stream  — 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  115 

a  dangerous  position,  as,  ehould  the  boat  be  caught 
by  a  roller,  she  would  most  certainly  be  turned 
over  and  over  till  she  was  dashed  in  fragments  on 
the  beach.  On  they  came  to  the  ship,  plunging 
through  the  seas,  and  appearing  as  if  every  instant 
would  be  her  last,  even  before  she  could  reach  the 
fatal  strand.  As  they  drew  near  they  could  dis- 
tinguish the  people  on  board  in  various  attitudes 
indicative  of  despair.  There  were  many  hapless 
beings  —  sailors,  soldiers,  civilians,  and  women  and 
children,  some  infants  in  arms,  all  full  of  life,  and 
yet,  ere  many  fleeting  minutes  could  pass  away,  to 
be  numbered  with  the  dead.  One  last  desperate 
effort  was,  it  was  seen,  now  made  by  the  crew  of 
the  ship  to  save  their  lives.  Two  anchors  were  let 
go,  the  cables  flying  out  like  lightning  from  the 
bows,  while  at  the  same  moment  gleaming  axes  cut 
away  the  remaining  part  of  the  foremast,  which 
plunged  free  of  the  ship  into  the  sea.  It  was  a 
well-executed,  seamanlike  manoeuvre.  The  stout 
ship  was  brought  up,  and  although  she  plunged 
with  her  lofty  bow  almost  under  the  seas,  it  seemed 
that  her  anchors  were  about  to  hold  her.  Hope 
revived  in  the  breasts' of  those  on  board.  Edward 
and  his  brave  companions  pulled  alongside  ;  ropes 
were  hove  to  them,  and  they  maintained  the  position 
they  had  gained,  although  in  the  greatest  possible 
peril  of  being  swamped.  To  climb  up  to  the  deck 
of  the  ship  was  almost  impossible,  but  Raymond 
shouted  out  that  he  was  ready  to  convey  as  many 


110  ANTONY  WATMOUTH;  OR, 

of  the  passengers  to  the  shore  as  were  willing  to 
trust  themselves  to  his  charge.  Many  of  those  who 
but  a  short  time  before  had  given  way  to  despair 
were  now  unwilling  to  leave  the  stout  ship  which 
still  floated  under  them  for  a  small  open  boat. 
Some  who  had  less  confidence  in  the  power  of  the 
anchors  to  hold  the  ship,  hurried  to  the  side,  and 
showed  by  their  gestures  that  they  wished  to  enter 
the  boat.  Without  assistance,  however,  to  make  the 
attempt  were  madness,  and  the  Portugal  seamen 
exhibited  no  intention  of  helping  them. 

"  I'll  do  it,  Master  Raymond,"  cried  Dick  Lizard, 
seizing  a  rope  which  hung  over  the  side,  and  with 
a  nimbleness  which  alone  prevented  him  from 
being  crushed  between  the  boat  and  the  ship  he 
climbed  up  over  her  bulwarks.  Two  seamen  fol- 
lowed his  example. 

Several  more  persons  came  crowding  to  the  side 
of  the  vessel  on  seeing  the  hardihood  of  the  British 
seamen  in  venturing  to  their  assistance.  Dick 
seized  the  person  he  found  nearest  to  him  as  ho 
leaped  on  deck.  It  was  a  young  girl.  She  was 
clasping  the  arm  of  a  gray-headed,  tall  old  man, 
who  seemed  to  be  her  father. 

"  No  time  for  ceremony,  fair  lady,"  cried  Dick ; 
"  bless  your  sweet  face,  I'll  make  all  square  when 
we  gets  you  safe  on  shore ;  just  now,  do  you  see, 
you  mustn't  mind  a  little  rough  handling.  There  ! 
there  !  let  go  the  old  gentleman's  fist ;  we'll  •  lower 
him  after  you,  never  fear.     Hold  on  taut  by  the 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  117 

rope,  as  you  love  me.  A  drop  of  tar  won't  hurt 
your  pretty  hands.  There  !  there  !  away  you  go  ! 
Look  out  below  there !  Gingerly,  lads,  lower  away. 
Now,  old  gentleman,  you  follows  your  daughter,  I 
suppose  ? " 

These  exclamations  were  all  uttered  while  Dick 
and  his  companions  were  securing  a  rope  round  the 
young  lady's  waist,  and  lowering  her  into  the  boat. 
She  gazed  upward  at  her  father  with  a  look  of 
affection  as  she  felt  herself  hanging  over  the  raging 
ocean  while  the  boat  seemed  receding  from  her.  A 
loud  shriek  of  terror  escaped  her.  Dick  waited  till 
the  boat  had  again  risen,  and  just  as  it  was  about 
to  descend  into  the  trough,  he  let  the  young  girl  drop 
into  the  arms  of  Raymond,  who  stood  ready  to  re- 
ceive lier,  and  with  a  sharp  knife  cut  the  rope  above 
her  head,  not  waiting  to  cast  it  loose.  The  next 
comer  was,  as  Dick  promised,  the  old  gentleman, 
who,  even  less  able  to  help  himself  than  the  young 
lady,  was  treated  much  in  the  same  way. 

A  young  mother  with  her  child,  whom  with  one 
arm  she  clutched  convulsively  to  her  bosom,  while 
with  the  other  with  a  parent's  loving  instinct  she 
endeavored  to  prevent  the  infant  from  being  dashed 
against  the  ship's  side,  was  next  lowered.  Not  a 
sound  did  she  utter.  Once  the  ship,  gave  an  unex- 
pected roll,  and  she  was  thrown  rudely  against  the 
side,  but  she  only  clasped  her  infant  the  tighter, 
and  heeded  not  the  cruel  blows  she  was  receiving. 
Barely  could  Edward  with  all  his  strength  secure 


118  A  STONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

her  and  free  her  from  the  rope  before  the  boat  was 
dashed  off  to  a  distance  from  the  ship.  Again,  how- 
ever, the  boat  was  hauled  up  alongside.  Lizard 
had  now  slung  two  little  boys  together.  Though 
pale  with  terror,  they  bravely  encouraged  each  other 
as  they  hung  over  the  foaming  ocean  till  the  position 
of  the  boat  enabled  them  to  be  lowered  into  her. 

Their  father  stood  on  the  bulwarks  watching 
them  with  all  a  father's  affection,  he  himself  wishing 
to  follow  immediately,  but  being  prohibited  from 
making  the  attempt  till  some  more  women  and 
children  had  been  lowered.  Lizard  and  his  com- 
panions labored  on  unceasingly,  for  none  of  the 
Portugal's  crew  would  render  them  any  assistance. 
Several  other  people  were  thus  conveyed  to  the  boat, 
but  many  who  seemed  at  first  inclined  to  leave  the 
ship  lost  courage  as  they  saw  the  hazard  of  the  un- 
dertaking. Some,  again,  as  they  gazed  towards  the 
foam-covered  shore,  and  heard  the  roar  of  the  seas 
as  they  dashed  on  the  wild  rocks,  or  rolled  up  on 
the  shingly  beach,  showed  that  they  would  rather 
trust  their  safety  to  the  boat  than  to  the  laboring 
ship.  Among  them  was  a  young  man  who  pushed 
forward  requesting  to  be  lowered. 

"No,  no,  senhor  don,"  said  Lizard.  "Do  ye 
see  that  there  are  more  women  and  children  to  go 
first  ?  We  must  look  after  the  weaker  ones,  who 
can't  help  themselves.  That's  the  rule  we  rovers 
of  the  ocean  stick  to." 

The  young  man,  either  not  comprehending  him, 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  119 

or  so  eager  to  escape  as  to  forget  all  other  consider- 
ations, sprang  up  on  the  bulwarks,  and,  seizing  a 
rope,  attempted  to  lower  himself  without  assistance. 
Miscalculating  the  time,  he  descended  rapidly ;  the 
ship  gave  a  sudden  lurch,  the  boat  swung  off,  and 
the  foaming  sea  surging  up  tore  him  from  the  rope, 
and  with  a  fearful  cry  of  despair  he  sank  for  ever. 
He  was  the  first  victim  claimed  by  the  ocean.  His* 
fate  deterred  others  from  making  a  like  attempt. 

"  Come,  senhor,"  said  Lizard  to  the  father  of  the 
little  boys,  "  if  you  wish  to  go  with  us  it's  fair  you 
should,  seeing  that  others  are  thinking  about  the 
matter  instead  of  acting.  You  just  trust  to  me,  and 
I'll  land  you  safely." 

Comprehending  what  Lizard  meant  by  his  ges- 
tures, rather  than  by  his  words,  he  submitted  him- 
self to  his  guidance,  and  was  placed  by  the  side  of 
his  boys.  At  that  instant  a  cry  arose  on  board  the 
ship  that  the  anchors  were  dragging.  Lizard  soon 
saw  that  the  report  was  too  true.  Now  numbers 
were  eager  to  jump  into  the  boat.  She  might  have 
carried  three  more  persons,  but  in  the  attempt  to 
receive  them  scores  might  have  leaped  in,  and  the 
boat  would  have,  been  swamped.  Dick  and  his 
companions  had  no  fancy  to  be  wrecked  with  the 
ship  ;  so,  seizing  ropes,  they  swung  themselves  into 
the  boat.  The  next  moment  the  rope  which  held 
the  boat  was  cut,  and  she  floated  clear  of  the  ship. 
The  oars  were  got  out  and  hastily  plied  by  the 
sturdy  seamen.     Good  reason  had  they  to  exert  all 


120  ANTONY   WAYMOVTH;  OR, 

their  strength,  for  the  ship,  while  dragging  her 
anchors,  had  already  carried  them  fearfully  near 
the  roaring  line  of  breakers  among  which  she  her- 
self was  about  to  be  ingulfed.  With  horror  those 
who  had  been  rescued  contemplated  the  impending 
fate  of  their  late  companions.  Slowly  the  boat 
worked  her  way  out  to  sea,  while  the  ship,  with  far 
"greater  rapidity,  drove  towards  the  shore.  Now  the 
wind,  which  appeared  for  an  instant  to  have  lulled, 
breezed  up  again.  Hardly  could  the  boat  hold  her 
own.  Edward  and  Lizard  had  to  keep  their  eyes 
seaward  to  watch  the  waves  in  order  to  steer  their 
boat  amid  their  foaming  crests.  The  hapless  people 
on  board  too  well  knew  what  must  be  their  own  fate. 
In  vain  they  shrieked  for  help  ;  in  vain  they  held 
out  their  arms ;  vain,  truly,  was  the  help  of  man. 
A  furious  blast  swept  over  the  ocean.  A  mass  of 
foam  broke  over  the  boat.  Raymond  believed  that 
she  could  not  rise  to  the  coming  sea,  but,  buoyantly 
as  before,  she  climbed  up  its  watery  side,  struggling 
bravely.  As  she  reached  its  summit  a  cry  escaped 
the  rowers  —  "  The  anchors  have  parted  !  Good 
God !  the  anchors  have  parted  !  " 

In  an  instant  more  the  raging  seas,  foaming  and 
hissing,  broke  over  the  stout  ship,  ingulfing  in  their 
eager  embrace  many  of  those  who  were  till  then 
standing  on  the  deck  full  of  life  and  strength.  Still 
the  waters  seemed  to  cry  out  for  more.  Each  time 
they  rushed  up  more  and  more  were  torn  from  their 
hold.     Some  strong  swimmers  struggled  for  a  few 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  121 

moments  amid  the  boiling  surges  for  dear  life,  but 
the  shrieks  of  most  of  them  were  speedily  silenced 
in  death.  The  stout  ship,  too,  stout  as  she  was, 
quickly  yielded  to  the  fury  of  the  breakers.  The 
high  poop  was  torn  away  as  if  made  of  thin  paste- 
board ;  the  wide  forecastle,  with  the  remainder  of 
the  crew  still  clinging  to  it,  was  carried  off  and 
speedily  dashed  to  fragments ;  the  stout  hull  next, 
with  a  wild  crash,  was  rent  asunder,  and  huge  tim- 
bers, and  beams,  and  planks  were  dashed  to  and  fro 
amid  the  foaming  billows,  speedily  silencing  the 
agonized  shrieks  of  those  who  yet  hoped  —  though 
hoped  in  vain  —  to  reach  the  land  where  hundreds 
upon  hundreds  of  their  fellow-creatures  stood  bewail- 
ing their  fate,  but  unable  to  render  them  assistance. 
But  a  few  minutes  had  passed  by  since  the  tall  ship 
had  struck  on  those  cruel  rocks,  and  now  her  shat- 
tered fragments  strewed  the  ocean,  some  carried 
back  by  the  receding  waves,  others  cast,  torn  and 
splintered,  on  the  beach  with  tangled  masses  of 
ropes,  and  spars,  and  seaweed.  Here  and  there  a 
human  form,  mangled,  pallid,  and  lifeless,  could  be 
discerned,  surrounded  by  the  remnants  of  the  wreck, 
now  approaching,  now  again  dashed  off  suddenly 
from  the  shore ;  now  an  arm  might  be  seen  lifted 
up  as  if  imploringly  for  help ;  now  the  head,  now 
the  very  lips,  might  be  seen  to  move,  but  it  was  but 
the  dead  mocking  at  the  living.  No  sound  escaped 
those  lips  ;  for  ever  they  were  to  be  silent.  Most  of 
those  thus  momentarily  seen  were  swept  off  again 


122  ANTONY  WATMOUTH;  OR, 

to  become  the  prey  of  the  ravenous  monsters  of  the 
deep.  A  few  of  the  poor  remnants  of  frail  mortality 
were  cast  up  and  left  upon  the  shore,  whence  they 
were  carried  up  by  the  pitying  hands  of  charity  to 
be  interred  in  their  mother  earth,  but  by  far  the 
greater  number  were  among  those  who  shall  rest  in 
their  ocean  graves  till  the  time  arrives  when  the  sea 
shall  give  up  her  dead,  and  all,  from  every  land  and 
every  clime  throughout  all  ages  since  the  world  was 
peopled,  shall  meet  together  for  judgment. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  123 


CHAPTER    VI. 

"  How  fares  it  with  the  good  ship,  Dick  ?  "  asked 
Edward,  fearing  for  one  moment  to  withdraw  his 
eyes  from  off  his  arduous  task  of  steering  the  boat 
amid  the  raging  seas. 

The  answer  came  not  from  the  British  seaman, 
but  from  one  of  the  passengers  taken  from  the 
ship  :  — 

"  Mother  of  Heaven  !  they  are  lost  —  all  lost !  " 

The  words,  uttered  by  the  young  lady  who  had 
been  the  first  received  into  the  boat,  were  followed 
by  a  heart-rending  shriek  as  she  sank  fainting  into 
the  arms  of  her  father.  Many  of  those  who  had 
been  saved  had  relatives,  all  had  friends  and  acquain- 
tances, on  board  the  ship.  Some  others  cried  out 
and  expressed  their  horror  or  regret,  but  the  greater 
number  looked  on  with  stolid  indifference,  satisfied 
that  they  had  themselves  escaped  immediate  de- 
struction, or  absorbed  in  the  selfish  contemplation  of 
■their  own  pending  fate.  It  seemed  even  now  scarce- 
ly possible  that  the  boat,  heavily  laden  as  she  was, 
could  escape  being  swamped.  Humanly  speaking, 
her  safety  depended  on  the  bone  and  muscle  and 
perseverance  of  her  crew.  None  but  true  British 
seamen  could  have  held  out  as  they  did.      Many 


124  ANTONY  WAYMOVTH;  OR, 

hours  had  elapsed  since  the  ship  was  first  seen  ; 
night  was  approaching,  and  the  sea  still  ran  so  high 
that  it  would  be  next  to  madness  to  attempt  re-enter- 
ing the  little  harbor  —  a  task  far  more  difficult  than 
getting  out  of  it,  as  the  slightest  deviation  to  the 
right  or  left  would  have  caused  the  instant  destruc- ' 
tion  of  the  boat  and  of  all  on  board  her.  There 
was  nothing,  therefore,  but  to  continue  at  sea. 
There  was  no  other  harbor  for  many  miles  either 
to  the  north  or  south  which  they  could  hope  to 
reach  within  many  days. 

"  An'  we  had  but  provender  aboard,  Master  Ray- 
mond, we  might  give  the  Portugals  the  slip,  and 
never  let  them  see  our  handsome  faces  again," 
observed  Dick,  after  keeping  silence  for  a  considera- 
ble time. 

"  True,  Dick,"  answered  Edward,  and  hope  rose 
in  his  heart  at  the  bare  mention  of  escaping ;  but 
with  a  sigh  he  added,  "  First,  though,  we  have  no 
provender,  and  had  we,  in  duty  we  are  bound  to 
land  these  poor  people  as  soon  as  we  can  with  safety 
venture  so  to  do.  Already  they  are  almost  worn 
out,  and  a  few  hours  more  of  exposure  may  destroy 
their  lives,  which  we  have  undergone  this  peril  to 
preserve.  Then,  again,  the  Portugals  allowed  us  to* 
take  the  boat  on  the  faith  that  we  were  to  return. 
Duty  is  duty,  Dick  ;  the  temptations  to  neglect  it 
do  not  alter  its  nature,  whatever  the  old  tempter 
Satan  may  say  to  the  contrary.  Let  us  stick  to  duty 
and  never  mind  the  consequences." 


THE   GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  125 

"That's  all  true,  no  doubt,  Master  Raymond, 
what  you  say,"  replied  Lizard.  "  But  it  would  be 
hard,  if  there  was  a  chance  of  getting  away,  to  go 
back  to  prison.  Liberty  is  sweet,  especially  to  sea- 
men." 

"Duty  is  duty,  Dick,"  repeated  Raymond. 
"  What  is  right  is  the  right  thing  to  do  ever  since 
the  world  began.  Maybe  the  gale  will  go  down, 
and  by  dawn  we  may  land  these  poor  people  with- 
out danger.  It  will  be  a  happy  thing  to  us  to  have 
saved  them ;  and,  to  my  mind,  even  our  prison  will 
be  less  dreary  from  having  done  it." 

All  hands  were  soon  brought  round  to  their 
officer's  opinion.  The  sun  was  now  setting,  and 
darkness  in  that  latitude  comes  on  immediately 
afterwards.  Their  prospect  was  therefore  dreary 
and  trying  in  the  extreme.  It  was  difficult  to  keep 
the  boat  free  from  water  in  the  day ;  still  more  diffi- 
cult would  it  be  while  night  shrouded  the  ocean 
with  her  sombre  mantle.  Hunger,  too,  was  assail- 
ing the  insides  of  the  crew;  but,  still  undaunted, 
they  prepared  to  combat  with  all  their  difficulties. 
Rest  they  must  not  expect ;  their  safety  depended 
on  their  pulling-  away  without  ceasing  at  the  oars. 
Pull  they  did  right  manfully.  Now  one  broke  into 
a  song ;  now  another  cheered  the  hearts  of  his  com- 
panions with  a  stave,  which  he  trolled  forth  at  the 
top  of  his  voice.  The  example  was  infectious,  and 
in  spite  of  hunger  and  fatigue,  jokes  and  laughter 
and  songs  succeeded  each  other  in  rapid  succession. 


126  ANTONY  WAYMOUTU;  OR, 

The  jokes  were  none  of  the  most  refined,  nor  were 
the  songs  replete  with  wisdom;  but  the  laughter, 
at  all  events,  was  loud  and  hearty ;  above  all 
things,  it  had  the  effect  of  raising  the  drooping 
spirits  of  the  poor  beings  who  had  been  confided  to 
them  by  Providence. 

As  they  sang,  and  joked,  and  rowed,  the  sea 
began  to  go  down,  and  thus,  as  their  strength 
decreased,  the  necessity  of  exerting  it  became  less  ; 
still  they  were  compelled  to  pull  on  to  keep  the 
boat  off  the  land  and  her  head  to  the  sea.  At 
length  the  singers'  voices  grew  lower  and  lower, 
and  the  jokers  ceased  their  jokes,  and  the  heads  of 
some  as  they  rowed  dropped  on  their  bosoms  for  an 
instant,  but  were  speedily  raised  again  with  a  jerk' 
and  a  shake  as  they  strove  to  arouse  their  faculties. 
Edward  had  need  of  all  his  energies  to  keep  him- 
self to  his  task,  and  he  told  Dick  to  warn  him 
should  he  show  any  signs  of  drowsiness. 

The  hours  as  the  morning  approached  appeared 
doubly  long.  The  dawn  came  at  last,  and  then  the 
sun  in  a  blaze  of  glory  shot  upward  through  .the 
sky  and  cast  his  burning  rays  across  the  waters 
upon  the  boat,  with  her  living  but  almost  exhausted 
freight  yet  struggling  bravely.  The  wind  had  fallen. 
There  was  a  perfect  calm,  but  yet  the  billows  rolled 
on,  moved,  it  seemed,  by  some  mysterious  power 
unseen  to  human  eye  —  not,  as  before,  broken  and 
foaming,  but  in  long,  smooth,  glassy  rollers. 
Smooth   as   they   were,   they   would    have   proved 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTUREIlS.  127 

fatally  treacherous  to  the  boat  had  Raymond  ven- 
tured to  land.  As  they  approached  the  beach  they 
gained  strength  and  height,  and  then  broke  with 
tremendous  fury  on  the  smooth  sand  or  rugged 
rocks,  as  if  indignant  at  being  stayed  in  their 
course.  Again  and  again  Edward  and  his  com- 
panions gazed  wistfully  at  the  coast.  That  formi- 
dable line  of  breakers  still  prohibited  approach.  He 
and  his  companions  had  before  been  suffering  from 
hunger.  As  the  sun  rose  higher  and  became  hotter 
and  hotter,  thirst  assailed  them  —  thirst  more  ter- 
rible and  more  fatal  than  hunger.  The  poor  pas- 
sengers suffered  most ;  it  seemed  as  if  they  had 
escaped  a  speedy  death  on  the  previous  day,  to 
suffer  one  more  painful  and  lingering.  Raymond 
had  been  unable  till  now  to  pay  them  much  atten- 
tion personally,  leaving  them  to  assist  each  other  as 
best  they  could.  He  was  now  attracted  by  the 
affectionate  manner  in  which  the  young  lady  who 
had  been  at  first  saved  tended  her  aged  father,  and 
at  length,  when  he  could  with  safety  leave  the 
helm,  on  stooping  down  to  aid  her,  he  recognized  in 
her  features,  careworn  as  they  were,  those  of  Donna 
Isabel  d' Almeida.     He  addressed  her  by  name. 

"  What !  then  our  gallant  deliverer  is  the  English- 
man Don  Edoardo,  the  friend  of  Don  Antonio ! " 
she  exclaimed.  "  Father,  father,  we  are  safe  among 
friends  ;  they  will  surely  take  us  to  the  shore  when 
they  can.  I  perceived  the  likeness  from  the  first, 
but,  overcome  with  terror  and   confusion,  I  could 


128  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

not  assure  myself  of  the  fact.  You  will  forgive  me, 
Don  Edoardo." 

"Indeed,  fair  lady,  I  have  nothing  to  forgive," 
said  Edward.  "  I  rejoice  to  have  been  the  means 
of  thus  far  preserving  one  for  whom  I  have  so 
high  an  esteem  from  a  dreadful  fate.  I  cannot 
but  believe  that  Providence,  which  has  saved  us 
thus  far,  will  enable  us  yet  to  reach  the  shore  in 
safety." 

"  Ifeaven  and  all  the  saints  grant  that  we  may ! 
and  under  your  guidance  I  have  no  fear,"  answered 
Donna  Isabel.  "But,  Don  Edoardo  "  — 

The  young  lady  stopped  and  hesitated,  and  then 
continued  in  a  faint  voice  — 

"  There  was  another  brave  officer  of  your  ship  I 
would  ask  after  —  Don  Antonio.  I  could  never 
pronounce  his  family  name.  How  is  it  that  he  is 
not  with  you  ?  " 

This  question  very  naturally  led  Edward  to 
describe  the  battle,  and  how  he  had  been  taken 
prisoner  and  brought  to  Goa,  and  thence  transferred 
to  the  safe  keeping  of  Don  Lobo,  and  how'  he  and 
his  companions  had  been  treated,  and  how  they  had 
been  enabled  to  come  off  to  the  assistance  of  the 
ship  in  consequence  of  the  cowardice  of  her  coun- 
trymen, who  were  glad  to  get  others  to  do  the  work 
which  they  were  afraid  to  attempt. 

This  account  was  listened  to  with  interest  by  the 
rest  of  the  passengers,  who  all  exclaimed  against 
the  cruelty  and  injustice  of  Don  Lobo,  and  prom- 


THE   GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  129 

ised,  should  they  be  preserved,  to  use  their  influence 
in  obtaining  the  liberty  of  the  brave  Englishmen. 

"  See,  Dick,  did  I  not  say  right  when  I  told  thee 
that  we  should  do  our  duty,  and  leave  the  conse- 
quences to  Providence  ?  "  Raymond  could  not  help 
remarking  to  Lizard.  "  We  shall  now  have  many 
friends  about  us  on  shore,  and  some  of  them  will 
get  us  set  free,  depend  on  that." 

"  I  hope  you  are  right,  Master  Raymond  ;  but  to 
my  mind  the  Portugal  chaps  haven't  much  gratitude 
in  their  nature,  and  out  of  sight  with  them  is  out 
of  mind,"  was  Dick's  reply. 

As  the  day  drew  on,  the  anxiety  of  all  in  the 
boat  to  reach  the  land  increased ;  indeed,  it  was 
very  evident  that  without 'water  several  would  be 
unable  to  exist  through  another  night.  Accord- 
ingly, about  four  hours  after  noon,  as  was  guessed 
by  the  height  of  the  sun,  Raymond  announced  his 
intention  of  making  the  attempt  to  run  into  the 
harbor.  He  had  carefully  noted  the  bearings  of 
the  marks  at  the  entrance  on  coming  out,  so  that 
he  was  able  to  steer  a  direct  course  for  the  spot. 
The  long  swells  still  rolled  in,  and  broke  along  the 
coast  in  sheets  of  foam,  and  all  he  hoped  to  find 
were  a  few  yards  of  green  water  through  which  he 
might  steer  his  boat.  The  belief  that  their  toils 
were  to  come  to  an  end  roused  up  even  the  most 
exhausted  of  the  crew.  On  glided  the  boat.  Now 
those  on  board  looked  down  on  the  shore  full  in 
view  before   them  —  now  a   smooth  green  wall  of 


130  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;   OR, 

water  rose  up  and  shut  it  from  their  sight.  Even 
the  bravest  held  their  breath  as  they  approached 
the  rocks,  and  the  loud  roar  of  the  breakers  sounded 
in  their  ears.  Edward  and  Lizard  stood  up,  grasp- 
ing the  tiller  between  them.  There  was  no  going 
back  now.  Had  they  allowed  the  boat  to  come 
broadside  to  one  of  those  watery  heights  she  would 
instantly  have  been  rolled  over  and  over,  and  cast 
helpless  on  the  rocks.  Many  a  silent  prayer  was 
offered  up  that  such  a  fate  might  be  averted. 
Nearer  and  nearer  the  boat  approached  the  rocks. 
"  Back  water  —  back  water,  lads !  "  cried  Raymond, 
and  a  huge  roller  lifted  the  boat  high  above  the 
shore,  but  failed  to  carry  her  forward.  It  broke  with 
a  thundering  roar  into  sheets  of  foam,  and  then 
opened  before  them  a  smooth  channel.  "  Pull  — 
pull  for  your  lives,  lads!"  cried  Edward.  The 
seamen  obeyed  with  a  will.  The  boat  shot  on,  and, 
amid  showers  of  spray  on  either  hand:  ere  a  breath 
could  be  completely  drawn,  she  was  gliding  forward, 
all  dangers  passed,  towards  the  beach,  where  hun- 
dreds of  persons,  Portugals  and  natives,  stood  ready 
to  receive  them.  The  boat  was  hauled  up  on  the 
beach,  and,  this  task  accomplished,  even  Edward 
and  Lizard  sank  down,  unable  to  support  them- 
selves. They  and  their  companions  were  carried 
up  to  the .  castle,  and,  although  somewhat  better 
chambers  were  provided  for  them,  they  found  them- 
selves still  prisoners,  and  strictly  guarded. 

"I  told  you  so,  Master  Raymond  —  I  told  you 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  131 

so !  "  exclaimed  Dick.     "  There's  iio  gratitude  in 
these  Portugals." 

However,  after  the  lapse  of  a  few  days  their  con- 
dition was  altered  very  much  for  the  better,  and 
provisions  and  luxuries  of  various  sorts  were  sent 
in  as  presents  from  those  who  had  heard  of  their 
brave  exploit.  Raymond  also  received  visits  from 
Don  Joao  d' Almeida,  as  also  from  various  other 
persons  of  .influence.  He  was  himself  allowed 
rather  more  liberty  than  before,  and  was  even  per- 
mitted to  ride  out  in  a  morning  with  an  escort,  in 
company  with  some  of  the  officers  of  the  fort,  and 
to  enter  into  such  society  as  the  place  afforded.  He 
thus  constantly  met  the  young  Donna  Isabel,  whom 
he  could  not  help  regarding  with  interest.  At  the 
same  time,  whatever  might  have  been  his  private 
opinion  regarding  the  attractions  of  that  fair  lady, 
even  had  they  been  far  greater  than  he  esteemed 
them,  he  would  not  have  allowed  himself  to  be  in- 
fluenced by  them ;  first  because  there  was  one  in 
his  far-off  home  to  whom  his  troth  was  plighted,  and 
secondly  because  he  fancied  that  her  affections  were 
fixed  on  Waymouth,  and  though  he  devoutly  hoped 
that  his  friend  would  never  marry  her,  yet  he  con- 
sidered that  as  a  messmate  and  a  friend  he  was  not 
the  person  to  stand  between  them.  These  were 
the  very  reasons  which  suggested  themselves  to  his 
mind  as  an  excuse,  as  it  were,  for  not  following  the 
rules  of  all  romances,  and  falling  desperately  in  love 
with  the  young  lady  whom  he  had  been  the  means 
of  preserving  from  a  dreadful  death. 


132  ANTONY  WAVMOUTH;  OR, 

It  is  possible  that  even  had  Edward  not  been  in- 
fluenced by  these  two  reasons  for  not  falling  in  love, 
as  the  phrase  goes,  with  Donna  Isabel,  he  might 
have  found  others  —  indeed,  that  she  was  a  Roman- 
ist and  of  a  different  nation  would  have  had  great 
power  with  him  alone  —  but  it  is  not  necessary  to 
enter  into  them ;  the  fact  remains,  he  did  not  in  the 
slightest  degree  set  his  affections  on  her.  He,  how- 
ever, believing  firmly  that  she  was  in  love  witli  Way- 
mouth,  and  having  a  true  and  honest  heart  himself, 
placing  full  confidence  in  the  constancy  of  woman, 
undoubtedly  paid  her  great  attention — such  cour- 
teous attention  as  a  brother  would  pay  a  sister,  or 
an  honest  man  his  friend's  wife,  certainly  thinking 
no  evil,  or  that  evil  could  arise  therefrom. 

Now  it  happened  that  Don  Lobo,  the  governor  of 
the  Castle  of  San  Pedro  and  its  dependencies,  was  a 
bachelor,  and,  although  a  surly,  cruel,  and  morose 
fellow,  had  a  heart  susceptible  of  the  tender  passion, 
or  rather  of  what  he  fancied  was  the  tender  passion, 
for  it  would  be  difficult  to  suppose  any  thing  tender 
connected  with  him.  It  had  been  very  long  since 
he  had  seen  anybody  so  young  and  so  beautiful  as 
Donna  Isabel,  and  no  sooner  did  he  set  eyes  on  her 
after  she  had  recovered  from  the  effects  of  her  voy- 
age and  exposure  in  the  open  boat  than  he  began  to 
be  unusually  agitated,  nor  could  he  rest  night  or  day 
for  thinking  of  her.  His  siestas  in  his  hammock  at 
noon,  with  slaves  fanning  his  face,  brought  him  no 
rest,  nor  was  it  afforded  by  his  couch  at  night.     He 


THE   GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  133 

resolved  to  make  Donna  Isabel  his  wife.  He  did  all 
he  could  to  exhibit  his  feelings  towards  her;  but, 
powerful  as  they  might  have  been,  and  although  she 
might  have  discovered  what  they  were,  she  certainly 
did  not  return  them. 

Notwithstanding  this,  matters  went  on  smoothly 
enough  for  some  time.  Don  Lobo  was  not  a  de- 
spairing lover,  and  he  knew  enough  of  the  female 
sex  to  be  aware  that  their  feelings  are  not  altogether 
immutable,  even  if  they  change  only  by  slow  degrees. 
Donna  Isabel's  sentiments  might  alter,  and  he 
might  reach  a  high  point  in  her  favor.  Time,  how- 
ever, passed  on  as  it  has  done  ever  since  the  world 
began,  and  no  such  change  as  the  governor  antici- 
pated took  place  ;  on  the  contrary,  as  the  young 
lady's  eyes  were  more  and  more  opened  to  the  true 
state  of  the  case,  so  did  her  dislike  to  the  don  the 
more  and  more  increase.  Indeed,  whenever  she 
looked  at  him,  or  thought  about  him,  or  heard  him 
spoken  of,  it  was  with  a  feeling  rather  akin  to  dis- 
gust than  to  devotion.  She  did  not,  nevertheless, 
exhibit  these  uncomplimentary  sentiments  as  forci- 
bly as  under  other  circumstances  she  might  have 
done.  She  and  her  father  were,  in  the  first  place, 
guests  of  Don  Lobo,  and  dependent  on  him.  Poor 
Don  Joao  had  also  lost  all  his  property  in  the  ship, 
and,  it  having  been  supposed  that  he  was  lost, 
another  person  had  been  appointed  to  his  proposed 
government,  and  he  had  to  wait  till  he  could  receive 
a  fresh  appointment  from  home.   Don  Lobo  was  also 


134  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH ;  OR, 

rich,  and  had  pressed  money  on  Don  Joao,  which  he 
had  accepted,  and  had  thus  become  still  more  in- 
debted to  him.  All  these  circumstances  would 
have  made  it  very  impolitic  in  Donna  Isabel  to  ex- 
hibit her  real  sentiments,  which  she  was  thus  in 
part  compelled  to  disguise,  though  she  could  not 
do  so  altogether ;  nor  did  she  afford  the  slightest  en- 
couragement to  her  unattractive  admirer.  At  first 
the  surly  don  was  very  indifferent  to  this  state  of 
things. 

"  She'll  yield  —  she'll  yield  before  long  to  my 
powerful  persuasions  and  personal  attractions,"  he 
observed  to  his  confidant  and  factotum,  Pedro  Pa- 
checo,  a  worthy  always  ready  to  do  his  master's  be- 
hests, whatever  they  might  be.  "  I'll  put  on  my 
new  doublet  and  hose,  and  my  jewel-hilted  sword, 
and  I'll  attack  her  again  this  day  manfully." 

"  Certainly,  most  certainly,  Senhor  Don  Lobo. 
A  man  of  your  excellency's  superlative  qualities,  no 
female  heart,  however  hard,  can  possibly  long  with- 
stand," observed  Pedro. 

"  I  knew  that  would  be  your  opinion,  my  faithful 
Pedro,"  said  the  governor —  the  fact  being  that  the 
faithful  Pedro  always  did  agree  with  his  patron,  not 
troubling  himself  to  decide  whether  he  thought  him 
right  or  wrong.     In  this  instance  both  were  wrong. 

The  governor,  to  the  surprise  of  the  garrison,  who 
had  been  always  accustomed  to  see  him  wearing  a 
greasy  old  doublet  and  a  rusty-hilted  sword,  made 
his  appearance  in  a  richly  ornamented  suit,  which, 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  135 

though  somewhat  fusty  from  having  been  long  shut 
up,  had  the  advantage  of  being  costly. 

He  was  received,  however,  as  usual  by  Donna 
Isabel,  who,  though  she  could  not  help  remarking 
that  he  wore  a  handsomer  dress  than  usual,  said 
nothing  whatever  which  might  lead  him  to  suppose 
that  she  saw  in  him  the  least  improvement.  He 
tried  to  talk,  but  in  vain  ;  not  a  word  of  sense  could 
he  produce.  Then  he  tried  to  look  unutterable 
things,  but  he  only  grinned  and  squinted  horribly, 
till  he  frightened  the  young  lady  out  of  her  senses, 
and  made  her  suppose  that  he  was  thoroughly  bent 
on  going  into  a  (it.  Although  he  did  not  suspect 
the  cause,  he  had  the  wit  to  discover  that  he  had 
not  made  a  favorable  impression,  and  returned  to 
his  quarters  disappointed  and  not  a  little  angry  with 
his  ill  success.  Pedro  Pacheco  could  only  advise 
him  to  try  again.  He  might  have  acted  a  more 
friendly  part  if  he  had  said  "  Give  it  up."  Don 
Lobo  did  try  again,  and  with  the  like  ill  success. 

"Persevere,"  said  Pedro. 

The  governor  did  persevere  day  after  day,  and  at 
length,  in  spite  of  the  entire  absence  of  all  en- 
couragement, declared  his  passion.  Donna  Isabel 
frankly  told  him  that  she  did  not  love  him,  and 
did  not  believe  that  she  ever  should.  She  might 
have  said  she  did  not  think  she  ever  could.  He 
said  nothing,  but  made  his  bow  and  exit.  He  told 
Pedro  Pacheco  of  his  ill  fortune. 

"  Then  she  loves  another !  "  observed  Pedro. 


136  AXTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

"  Who  can  be  be  ?  "  exclaimed  tbe  governor  in  a 
fierce  voice. 

"  Where  have  your  excellency's  eyes  been  of 
late  ? "  asked  the  confidant  quietly. 

"  What !  "  cried  Don  Lobo,  giving  a  furious  pull 
at  his  beard,  "  that  Englishman  ?  " 

"The  same,"  said  Pedro  Pacheco,  nodding  his 
head. 

"  Then  I  will  take  good  care  he  no  longer  inter- 
feres with  me,"  said  the  don  in  a  savage  tone. 

"  Of  course  it  would  be  unwise  not  to  exert 
your  authority  when  you  have  him  in  your  power," 
said  Pedro.  "  Better  put  him  out  of  the  way 
altogether." 

"  He  has  friends  —  I  must  have  an  excuse,"  said 
the  governor. 

"  He  has  been  plotting  or  will  be  plotting  to 
make  his  escape,"  observed  Pedro.  "  To  effect  this 
he  would  not  scruple  to  murder  all  in  the  castle. 
He  and  his  companions  have  shown  Avhat  daring 
rogues  they  are  by  going  out  to  the  rescue  of  Donna 
Isabel  and  the  rest  when  none  of  our  heroic  coun- 
trymen would  attempt  the  exploit.  Ah,  those  En- 
glish are  terrible  fellows !  " 

"  Proof  must  be  brought  to  me  of  their  abomi- 
nable intentions,  and  then  we  shall  have  this  officer 
and  his  men  in  our  power,"  observed  the  governor 
savagely. 

"Proof,  your  excellency!  there  will  be  no. want 
of  that,  considering  that  our  garrison  consists  of  the 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  137 

very  scum  of  the  streets  of  Lisbon,"  answered  the 
confidant.  "  Why,  we  have  men  here  who  for  a 
peco  have  sworn  away  the  lives  of  their  most  inti- 
mate acquaintances.  Of  course,  in  so  admirable  a 
cause  they  would  have  no  scruple  in  swearing 
whatever  we  may  dictate,  even  should  it  not  be 
absolutely  correct." 

"What  you  may  dictate,  honest  Pacheco,  not 
we,  understand,"  said  the  governor.  "  They  may 
bungle  when  brought  into  court  as  witnesses,  and 
though  under  ordinary  circumstances  that  would 
not  matter,  some  of  these  shipwrecked  persons  are 
likely  to  be  favorable  to  them,  and  might  report 
unfavorably  of  me  if  matters  did  not  go  smoothly. 
As  to  the  means  I  am  indifferent  when  so  important 
a  result  is  to  be  attained." 

"Ah,  most  noble  governor,  I  understand  all 
about  your  wishes  in  the  matter,  and  will  take  care 
that  the  affair  is  carried  out  in  a  satisfactory  way," 
answered  the  honest  Pedro,  making  his  master  an 
obsequious  bow  as  he  left  the  room. 

Don  Lobo  clinched  his  fist,  and,  grinding  his 
teeth,  struck  out  as  if  he  had  got  his  prisoner's  face 
directly  in  front  of  him.  The  performance  of  this 
act  seemed  to  afford  him  infinite  satisfaction,  for  he 
walked  up  and  down  the  room  with  a  grin  which 
might  in  courtesy  have  been  called  a  smile  on  his 
countenance  for  some  time  till  his  legs  grew  weary 
of  the  exercise. 

Not  long  after  this,  Edward  was  one  evening 


138  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

pacing  the  terrace  facing  the  sea,  casting  many  a 
longing  glance  over  the  glass-like  water  of  the 
ocean,  on  which  the  rajs  of  the  setting  sun  had 
spread  a  sheet  of  golden  hue,  and  he  was  consid- 
ering by  what  means  he  could  possibly  with  his 
companions  make  his  escape,  when  rough  hands 
were  laid  on  his  shoulders  and  he  found  his  arms 
suddenly  pinioned  from  behind.  His  first  impulse 
was  to  endeavor  to  shake  them  off,  and  having  by  a 
violent  effort  done  so,  his  next  was  to  double  his 
fists  and  to  strike  at  them  right  and  left,  knocking 
two  of  them  down  at  the  instant  in  a  true  British 
fashion.  At  that  instant,  Dick  Lizard,  coming  on 
the  terrace  and  seeing  his  officer  assailed,  rushed 
forward  to  his  assistance,  and  quickly  sent  two 
more  Portugals  tumbling  head  over  heels  right  and 
left  of  him. 

"  To  the  rescue !  to  the  rescue ! "  he  shouted  out, 
and  his  voice  quickly  collected  all  the  English  pris- 
oners who  were  within  hearing.  Of  course  more 
Portugals  hurried  up  to  the  spot,  who  at  once  joined 
in  the  fray.  Swords  and  daggers  were  drawn,  which 
the  Englishmen  quickly  wrenched  from  the  hands 
of  their  assailants,  though  not  till  several  of  the 
prisoners  had  been  wounded ;  and  now  the  clash  of 
steel  was  heard  and  fire-arms  were  discharged,  and 
the  skirmish  became  general.  In  the  midst  of  it 
Pedro  Pacheco  rushed  out  of  his  quarters,  crying 
out  — 

"  Treason !  treason !  the  English  are  rising  and 


THE  GENTLEMEK  ADVENTUREIiS.  139' 

i 

murdering  every  one  of  us,"  and  at  the  same  mo- 
ment he  levelled  a  pistol  at  Raymond's  head.  The 
bullet  would  probably  have,  ended  the  life  of  the 
gallant  adventurer  had  not  Dick  Lizard  struck  up 
the- Portugal's  arm,  for  he  had  no  time  in  the  first 
instance  to  do  more,  but  a  second  blow  from  his  fist 
sent  Senhor  Pedro  sprawling  on  the  ground  among 
several  others  of  his  party  who  had  been  placed  in 
the  same  horizontal  position  by  the  sturdy  Eng- 
lishmen. 

In  spite  of  the  superior  numbers  of  the  Portugals, 
the  fate  of  so  many  of  their  party  made  the  rest 
unwilling  to  close  with  the  prisoners,  who,  not 
knowing  what  was  intended,  stood  boldly  at  bay, 
resolved  to  sell  their  lives  dearly,  Dick  Lizard 
singing  out  — 

"  Come  on  —  come  on,  ye  varlets  !  we  don't  fear 
ye.  One  Spaniard  lick  two  Portugee,  one  English- 
man lick  all  three  !  " 

This  state  of  things  could  not,  however,  last  long. 
Trumpets  were  sounding,  drums  were  beating,  and 
soldiers  from  all  quarters  were  collecting,  who  now 
with  Don  Lobo  at  their  head  surrounded  the  Eng- 
lishmen. At  the- command  of  the  governor  they 
were  levelling  their  matchlocks  (fortunately  the 
matter  of  discharging  them  was  not  a  speedy  opera- 
tion), when  Don  Joao  d' Almeida  and  his  daughter 
Donna  Isabel  made  their  appearance  on  the  scene 
with  most  of  those  who  had  been  preserved  from 
the  wreck. 


140  ANTONY  WAYMOUTHi  OR, 

\ 

"  Hold,  hold,  countrymen ! "  cried  Don  Joao. 
"  What !  are  you  about  to  slaughter  those  who 
so- gallantly  risked  their  lives  to  save  ours?  Hold, 
I  say;  I  am  sj.re  that  you,  Don  Edoardo,  have 
done  nothing  intentionally  to  deserve  this  treat- 
ment." 

Donna  Isabel  joined  her  entreaties  with  those  of 
her  father. 

"  Certainly  I  have  no  wish  to  break  the  peace," 
answered  Raymond.  "  The  arms  we  hold  were 
taken  from  those  who  assailed  us,  and  we  are 
ready  to  lay  them  down  instantly  at  the  command 
of  the  governor,  in  whose  lawful  custody  we  con- 
sider ourselves." 

Thus  appealed  to,  Don  Lobo  could  not,  without 
outraging  all  law,  order  the  destruction  of  Ids 
prisoners.  Those  who  had  possessed  themselves 
of  weapons  put  them  down,  when  they  were  imme- 
diately seized  each  by  not  less  than  six  Portugals, 
and  marched  off  to  the  cells  in  which  they  had  at 
first  been  confined. 

"  I  must  inquire  into  the  cause  of  this  outbreak, 
when  punishment  will  be  awarded  to  the  guilty," 
said  Don  Lobo,  as  he  stalked  back  to  his  quarters. 

The  unpleasant  look  which  the  governor  cast  on 
him  made  Edward  feel  that  evil  was  intended.  His 
suspicions  were  speedily  confirmed,  for  instead  of 
being  taken  to  the  chamber  he  had  lately  occupied, 
he  was  marched  off  to  the  prison  in  which  he  and 
his  companions  had  at  first  been  confined,  and  was 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  141 

thrust  alone  into  a  dark,  close,  foul  dungeon,  at  a 
distance,  he  feared,  from  Lizard  and  his  other  men. 
He  knew  nothing  of  the  jealous  feelings  which  had 
sprung  up  in  the  bosom  of  Don  Lobo,  or  his  appre- 
hensions would  naturally  have  been  greatly  in- 
creased. The  air  of  the  dungeon  was  noxious  and 
oppressive,  and  he  had  not  been  in  it  many  hours 
before  he  began  to  feel  its  ill  effects. 

"  A  week  or  two  in  such  a  hole  as  this  will  bring 
my  days  to  a  close,"  he  said  to  himself  as  he  sur- 
veyed, as  far  as  the  obscurity  would  allow,  the  nar- 
row confines  of  his  prison-house.  "  Alas  !  alas !  my 
adventure  has  turned  out  ill  indeed.  My  own  Bea- 
trice, for  thy  sake  I  left  my  native'land,  and  thou 
wilt  have,  ere  long,  to  mourn  me  dead.  For  thy 
sake,  sweet  girl,  I  pray  that  I  may  escape." 

In  this  strain  he  soliloquized  for  some  time,  as 
people  in  his  circumstances  are  apt  to  do,  and  then . 
he  set  to  work  to  consider  how,  by  his  own  exer- 
tions, he  might  be  able  to  get  free.  He  was  fain  to 
confess,  that,  unaided,  he  had  not  the  slightest 
chance  of  escape.  Of  one  thing,  however,  he  was 
certain  —  that  Dick  Lizard  would  not  rest  day  or 
night  till  he  had  made  an  attempt  to  help  him. 
And  he  knew  that  Dick,  with  all  a  sailor's  bluntness 
and  thoughtlessness,  had  a  considerable  amount  of 
ready  wit,  and  of  caution  too,  where  it  was  neces- 
sary for  the  accomplishment  of  an  important  object. 
Edward  hoped  also  that-  his  friends  would  prove 
true,  and  exert  themselves  in  his  favor. 


142  ANTONY  WATMOUTH;  OR, 

All  this  time  Don  Lobo  had  resolved  on  his  de- 
struction, and  only  waited  the  best  opportunity  of 
accomplishing  it.  Knowing  the  character  of  the 
dungeon  in  which  his  prisoner  was  confined,  he  be- 
lieved that  he  should  have  very  little  trouble  about 
the  matter.  Edward's  constitution  was,  however, 
very  sound,  and  though  he  certainly  suffered  in 
health,  he  did  not  break  down  altogether,  as  the 
governor  expected  would  be  the  case.  Don  Lobo, 
therefore,  announced  publicly  that  he  intended  to 
bring  the  prisoners  engaged  in  the  late  outbreak  to 
a  trial.  This  every  one  knew  well  would  result  in 
their  being  shot.  Day  after  day  passed  by.  Ed- 
ward found  his"  imprisonment  more  and  more  irk- 
some, while  he  had  not  yet  succeeded  in  communi- 
cating with  Lizard,  nor  could  he  ascertain  even 
where  the  honest  fellow  was  shut  up.  His  jailers 
.were  only  conversable  when  they  had  any  disagree- 
able news  to  communicate,  and  it  is  extraordinary 
how  loquacious  they  became  when  the  day  of  his 
trial  was  fixed,  and  the  opinion  as  to  his  fate  was 
formed.  They  seemed  to  take  especial  delight  in 
taunting  him  and  in  annoying  him  in  every  way. 

"  Ah,  senhor,  many  an  honest  man  has  been  hung 
before  now,  and  many  a  rogue,  and  neither  seems  to 
think  it  a  pleasant  operation,"  remarked  one  of  the 
fellows,  imitating  the  contortions  of  countenance  of 
a  strangled  person. 

"  To  which  class  does  the  noble  senhor  belong,  I 
wonder  ?  "  said  another. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  143 

"  Maybe  to  the  last,  if  he  will  pardon  me  saying 
so,"  observed  a  third  with  a  grin. 

"  But,  ah  me  !  rogue  or  honest,  there  will  be  some 
fair  ladies  mourning  for  him  in  more  ports  than  one," 
cried  another,  who  was  considered  the  wit  of  the 
gang.  "Permit  me,  senhor,  to  convey  your  last 
dying  message  to  some  or  all  of  them.  Maybe  in 
your  own  land  there  is  some  fair  young  dame  from 
whom  you  would  not  willingly  be  parted,  eh  ?  I 
thought  that  I  should  hit  the  right  nail  on  the 
head." 

"  Peace  —  peace,  men  !  "  exclaimed  Edward. 
"  For  your  own  sakes,  lest  you  should  ever  be  in 
a  like  condition,  allow  me  to  be  alone." 

His  appeal,  made  with  dignity  and  calmness,  had 
more  effect  than  he  expected,  and  the  men  shrank 
back,  for  a  time,  at  least,  abashed.  Their  last 
remarks  did  not,  however,  affect  his  feelings  as 
might  have  been  supposed,  the  fact  being  that  his 
Beatrice  was  never  out  of  his  thoughts,  and  night 
and  day  his  prayers  had  been  for  blessings  on  her 
head. 

The  day  of  the  Englishmen's  trial  approached. 
Of  the  result  there  could  not  be  a  shadow  of  doubt. 
Numerous  witnesses  were  able  to  prove  that  they 
had  been  found  in  open  insurrection  with  arms  in 
their  hands,  while  there  was  no  one  to  speak  in  their 
favor.  Any  thing,  also,  like  justice  was  unknown  in 
the  land.  Still,  Don  Lobo,  having  resolved  to  ge.t 
rid  of  his  supposed  rival,  wished  to  give  as  great  an 


144  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH ;  OR, 

air  of  formality  and  legality  to  his  proceedings  as 
he  possibly  could. 

Edward,  from  all  he  could  ascertain,  felt  con- 
vinced that  he  had  not  many  days  to  live.  The 
night  before  his  trial  arrived  he  had  thrown  himself 
on  the  heap  of  straw  which  served  as  his  bed  by 
night  and  his  only  seat  by  day,  that  he  might  obtain 
some  repose,  the  better  to  go  through  his  ordeal  on 
the  morrow,  when  he  heard  his  prison-door  open 
gently,  without  the  usual  creaking  noise  which 
announced  the  appearance  of  his  jailers,  and  a 
bright  light  streamed  on  his  closed  eyes.  He  fan- 
cied that  'he  must  be  dreaming,  till  he  unclosed 
them  and  discovered  that  the  light  was  held  by  a 
being  habited  in  a  white  robe,  beautiful  in  appear- 
ance, whether  celestial  or  human  he  could  not  at 
first  decide.  If  the  latter,  she  was  young  and  of 
the  fair  sex.  He  looked  again.  Yes  —  Donna  Isar 
bel  d' Almeida  stood  before  him.  She  put  her  finger 
to  her  lips  to  impose  silence,  and  kneeling  down  by 
his  side  whispered  for  some  time  into  his  ears.  She 
then  produced  a  couple  of  files  and  other  instru- 
ments for  forcing  off  shackles,  which  she  and  the 
prisoner  plied  so  assiduously  that  scarcely  half  an 
hour  had  passed  before  he  stood  up  free  from  his 
chains. 

"  Take  off  your  slmes  and  put  on  these  woollen 
slippers,  and  follow  me,  senhor,"  whispered  Donna 
Isabel.  "  The  guards  are  asleep,  and  if  no  noise  is 
made  we  need  npt  fear  being  stopped." 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  145 

Edward  could  scarcely  believe  his  senses,  and 
fancied  that  he  must  be  asleep,  but  still  he  wisely 
did  as  he  was  bid.  He,  however,  felt  scarcely  able 
to  walk  after  being  shut  up  for  so  long  in  that  pes- 
tiferous dungeon.  Donna  Isabel,  shrouding  part  of 
the  lantern,  glided  towards  the  door,  which  opening 
noiselessly  she  passed  out,  he  following.  She  led 
the  way  up  a  narrow,  dark,  winding  staircase.  It 
had  not  many  steps,  and  Edward,  to  his  surprise, 
found  himself  pacing  a  long  passage,  the  end  of 
which  he  could  not  distinguish.  He  had  never 
before  been  in  that  part  of  the  fort.  Not  a  sound 
was  heard,  nor  did  his  own  nor  his  guide's  footfall 
make  the  slightest  noise.  He  conjectured  that  the 
guard  had  just  before  made  the  rounds,  and  that 
the  warders  had  settled  themselves  into  their  nooks 
and  corners  and  gone  to  sleep.  Donna  Isabel 
seemed  to  have  perfect  confidence  that  all  was  right, 
though  he  could  not  help  expecting  every  instant  to 
come  on  one  of  these  nooks,  and  to  find  a  warder 
prepared  to  dispute  their  onward  progress. 

He  had  been  aware  that  his  dungeon  was  at  a 
considerable  depth,  but,  judging  from  the  number 
of  steps  he  had  to  ascend,  he  found  that  it  was  even 
deeper  down  than  he  had  supposed.  The  gallery 
was  low  and  arched  —  hewn  out  of  the  rock  it 
appeared,  or  built  of  rough  stones,  though,  as  may 
be  supposed,  he  made  no  very  exact  observations  as 
he  hurried  on.  Suddenly  Donna  Isabel  stopped, 
and  taking  his  arm  led  him  round  a  corner  into 
10 


146  ANTONY   WAY  MOUTH,   OR, 

another  corridor  or  gallery.  It  was  a  side  passage, 
or,  probably,  rather  a  passage  which  had  been  com- 
menced but  not  finished.  Covering  up  her  lantern, 
they  were  in  total  darkness.  Edward  had,  however, 
time  to  ascertain  that  they  were  behind  a  buttress 
or  projecting  part  of  the  watt,  which  would  conceal 
them  partially  from  any  one  passing  along  the  main 
gallery  they  had  quitted.  Donna  Isabel  had  not 
sought  the  place  of  concealment  a  moment  too  soon, 
for  scarcely  was  the  light  shrouded  than  footsteps 
were  heard  and  a  glare  of  light  appeared.  The 
light  proceeded  from  a  couple  of  torches  held  by 
two  men,  and  directly  behind  them  stalked  no  less 
a  person  than  the  governor  himself,  followed  closely 
by  Pedro  Pacheco.  The  glare  penetrated  to  the 
recess  in  which  the  fugitives  stood,  and  Edward 
expected  every  moment  to  be  discovered  by  Don 
Lobo.  The  don  was,  however,  near-sighted,  or  so 
occupied  in  earnest  conversation,  that  he  did  not 
turn  his  eyes  in  that  direction.  Edward  could  hear 
his  companion's  heart  beat.  Discovery  would  have 
been  destruction  to  both  of  them  probably  —  to  him 
certainly.  The  governor,  also  —  as  was  his  habit  — 
walked  along  with  his  eyes  on  the  ground,  but  those 
of  the  worthy  Pedro  had  the  custom  of  continually 
casting  furtive  glances  here  and  there,  as  if  he 
expected  some  one  to  jump  suddenly  upon  him  and 
give  him  a  stab  in  the  ribs  or  a  kick  in  a  less  noble 
part,  or  as  if  he  thought  a  person  was  about  to 
creep  behind  him  to  listen  to  what  he  was  saying. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  147 

Edward  had  remarked  this  peculiarity  in  the  gov- 
ernor's confidant,  and  had  very  natural  apprehen- 
sions that  it  would  lead  to  their  detection.  The 
eyes  went  up  and  down,  here  and  there,  as  usual  — 
now,  by  a  turn  of  the  head,  looking  over  one  shoul- 
der, now  over  the  other,  now  into  the  governor's 
face  to  ascertain  what  effect  his  remarks  were 
producing.  Donna  Isabel  crouched  down,  really 
now  trembling  with  fear,  for,  as  far  as  her  gentle 
nature  would  allow,  she  loathed  Senhor  Pedro  even 
more  than  his  master.  Edward  stood  bolt  upright, 
with  his  arms  by  his  side  and  his  eyes  fixed,  to 
occupy  as  little  space  as  possible.  Round  and  round 
went  Pedro's  lynx-like  orbs.  By  what  possibility 
could  they  escape  falling  on  the  spot  where  Edward 
was  endeavoring  to  hide  ? 

A  small  matter  often  produces  an  important 
result.  A  little  stone,  which  hundreds  of  feet  had 
passed  by  without  touching,  lay  on  the  ground. 
The  governor  struck  his  toe  against  it,  on  which-  toe 
a  painful  callosity  existed.  Uttering  an  oath  at  the 
pain  he  was  caused,  he  stumbled  forward,  and 
would  have  proved  the  hardness  of  the  rock  with 
the  tip  of  his  nose  had  not  Pedro  caught  him  as  he 
fell.  So  assiduous  were  the  attentions  of  the  confi- 
dant, that,  though  Don  Lobo  limped  on  slowly,  they 
had  both  passed  beyond  the  spot  from  which  they 
could  see  the  fugi'tives  before  Pedro's  eyes  turned 
again  towards  the  quarter  where  they  stood.  It 
might  be  possible  that  other  persons  were  following, 
but  no  one  else  appeared. 


148  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  Oil, 

It  occurred  to  Edward  that  the  governor  might 
be  on  his  way  to  see  him  in  his  cell,  and  if  so  their 
flight  would  speedily  be  discovered.  At  all  events, 
not  a  moment  was  to  be  lost.  Donna  Isabel  must 
have  thought  the  same,  for,  taking  his  hand,  she 
again  led  him  along  the  chief  gallery  in  the  direc- 
tion in  which  they  were  before  going. 

"  The  stumble  of  the  governor  might  be  fortu- 
nate for  more  reasons  than  one,"  thought  Edward. 
"If  he  is  going  towards  my  cell,  it  may  delay  him 
and  give  us  a  little  longer  start." 

Distances  appear  much  greater  to  persons  walking 
in  the  dark  and  in  an  unknown  path,  and  thus 
Edward  believed  that  they  must  be  close  on  some 
outlet  long  before  one  was  reached.  More  steps 
were  ascended  and  others  descended,  and  long 
passages  traversed,  when  Donna  Isabel  led  the  way 
through  a  narrow  one  which  turned  off  at  right 
angles  to  a  main  gallery,  and  hurrying  along  it  for 
some  way,  they  suddenly  came  to  a  door.  The 
cool  night  air  came  through  an  iron  grating,  show- 
ing that  it  was  an  outlet,  if  not  to  the  fort  itself,  to 
that  portion  where  the  prison  was  placed.  Iron 
bars  secured  it,  and  a  strong  lock,  apparently.  The 
lady  beckoned  to  Edward  to  undertake  the  task 
which  her  weaker  arms  were  unable  to  perform, 
throwing  the  light  of  the  lantern  for  the  purpose  on 
the  door.  The  bolts  having  been  without  much 
difficulty  withdrawn,  she  produced  a  key,  which 
she  handed  to  Edward.     In  vain  he  attempted  to 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  149 

fit  it  in  the  lock.  It  was  clearly  the  wrong  key,  or 
they  had  come  to  the  wrong  door.  There  was  a 
latch,  but  though  he  pulled  at  it  and  shook  it,  the 
door  would  not  open. 

"  Alas  !  I  trust  the  error  is  not  fatal.  We  should 
have  turned  to  the  right  instead  of  to  the  left," 
whispered  Donna  Isabel.  "  It  was  the  only  point 
about  which  I  had  any  doubt." 

Leaving  the  door  with  the  bolts  withdrawn,  they 
retraced  their  steps  for  some  distance. 

"Here!  here!"  whispered  Donna  Isabel.  "This 
is  the  right  way." 

Going  on,  they  stood  before  a  door  similar  to  the 
one  they  had  before  attempted.  The  bolts  were 
withdrawn  with  ease ;  they  had  evidently  lately 
been  oiled.  Passing  through  the  gateway,  Edward 
and  the  lady  found  themselves  in  the  open  air. 
Edward  expected  to  be  outside  the  fort,  but  he  soon 
discovered  that  they  were  still  within  the  outer 
works.  The  heavy  footsteps  of  a  sentry  as  he  paced 
the  ramparts  could  be  distinctly  heard,  the  bark  of 
a  dog  in  the  distance,  and  the  steady  lash  of  the 
restless  sea  on  the  beach.  A  wide  open  space  had 
to  be  crossed.  The  attempt  must  be  made,  and  yet 
they  might  be  seen  by  the  sentry.  Fortunately  the 
night  was  dark.  Donna  Isabel  held  Edward  back 
till  the  man  had  turned,  and  then  whispering, 
*  Qxiick,  quick  !  "  led  the  way,  running  rapidly 
across  the  open  space.  So  quickly  she  ran,  that 
Edward  could  scarcely  keep  up  with  "her.     Breath- 


150  ANTOlfY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

less  she  reached  the  parapet  of  the  outer  works. 
At  the  spot  where  they  stood  an  angle  sheltered 
them  from  the  sight  of  the  sentry  above.  Edward 
looked  over,  and  found  that  it  was  directly  above  the 
shore,  and,  as  far  as  he  could  judge  in  the  darkness, 
the  ditch  seemed  to  have  been  almost  filled  with 
sand.  Donna  Isabel,  stooping  down,  produced  a. 
strong  rope  from  under  a  gun-carriage,  to  which 
the  end  was  secured. 

"  I  doubt  not  its  strength,"  she  whispered ;  "  but 
I  will  lead  the  way." 

And  before  Edward  could  prevent  her  grasping 
the  rope,  she  had  flung  herself  off  the  wall,  and  was 
descending  rapidly.  Believing  that  she  had  reached 
the  bottom,  he  imitated  her  example.  The  rope 
stretched  and  cracked  as  his  weight  was  thrown  on 
it.  Every  moment  he  expected  it  to  break,  and  he 
was  unable  to  tell  the  height  he  might  have  to  fall, 
or  the  nature  of  the  ground  which  he  should  reach. 
It  was  with  inexpressible  satisfaction  that  his  feet 
touched  some  hard,  rugged  rocks. 

"  We  have  yet  farther  to  go,"  said  Donna  Isabel. 
"  Then,  Don  Edoardo,  I  must  leave  you  with  those 
better  able  than  a  weak  girl  to  render  you  assist- 
ance." 

Along  the  rough  sea-beat  rocks  Donna  Isabel, 
with  unfaltering  steps,  held  her  way.  The  softer 
sand  was  gained,  and  now  faster  even  than  before 
she  fled  along,  urging  Edward  to  still  greater  speed. 

"  Go   before   me,  brave    Englishman,"    she   ex- 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  151 

claimed.  "  Even  now  we  may  be  pursued,  and  my 
failing  strength  will  not  bear  me  on  as  fast  as  you 
can  run.     On,  on  ;  care  not  for  me  ;  I  will  follow." 

This,  however,  Edward  could  not  bring  himself  to 
do.  It  was  contrary  to  all  his  manly  feelings,  his 
ideas  of  chivalry.  Half  lifting  and  half  supporting 
the  young  lady,  he  bore  her  on  towards  the  harbor. 
As  they  went,  the  idea  occurred  to  him,  "  What  could 
be  Donna  Isabel's  intentions  ?  Did  she  propose  flying 
with  him?"  The  question  was  perplexing.  "I'll 
tell  her  at  once  the  truth,  and  return  to  prison 
rather  than  place  her  in  a  wrong  position." 

While  thus  hurrying  on,  however,  he  found  it 
impossible  to  express  his  sentiments. 

The  beach  which  formed  the  inner  side  of  the 
little  harbor  was  at  length  reached,  but  no  boat 
could  Edward  discern. 

"It  is  farther  out,  concealed  under  the  rocks," 
said  Donna  Isabel.  "  We  must  endeavor  to  reach 
it  by  walking  along  them." 

The  undertaking  appeared  very  hazardous  to 
Edward,  who  remembered  that  there  were  numer- 
ous crevices,  and  smooth,  slippery  places,  down 
which  it  would  be  difficult  to  avoid  falling.  Donna 
Isabel,  however,  assured  him  that  she  was  ac- 
quainted with  a  secure  path  which  had  been  cut  in 
the  rocks. 

After  searching  for  a  short  time  the  path  was 
found,  and  cautiously  she  led  the  way  along  it.  It 
was  necessary  in  the  dark  to  feel  every  step  in  ad- 


1.32  ANTONY   WATMOUTHi   OR, 

vanoe,  lest  a  false  oue  might  precipitate  her  into 
the  water.  The  delay  was  very  trjang.  Neither  of 
them  had  once  looked  behind  ;  there  would  have 
been  no  use  in  so  doing.  Even  if  pursued,  they 
could  not  have  fled  faster  than  they  had  done. 
Suddenly  Donna -Isabel  stopped. 

"  I  cannot  find  the  path,"  she  exclaimed,  after 
searching  round  for  some  time. 

In  vain  Edward  tried  to  discover  it. 

While  stopping  in  consequence  of  this,  their  eyes 
were  directed  'for  the  first  time  towards  the  castle. 
In  front  of  it  appeared  several  bright  lights ;  they 
were  those  of  torches  and  lanterns.  After  flitting 
about  for  some  time,  the  lights  began  to  move 
towards  the  harbor.  They  were  pursued.  If  the 
boat  could  not  be  found,  they  would  inevitably  be 
captured. 

"  I  will  go  first  and  search  for  the  boat,  at  all 
hazards,"  exclaimed  Edward. 

He  walked  on.  Donna  Isabel  in  her  alarm  had 
fancied  that  they  were  out  of  the  path,  though  it 
was  but  some  roughness  of  the  rock  that  had  misled 
her.  They  were  soon  again  in  it.  With  renewed 
spirits  Edward  pushed  on.  He  fancied  that  he  saw 
the  boat  close  under  a  projecting  part  of  the  rock. 
He  hailed. 

"  All  right,  huzza  !  "  answered  a  voice.  He  rec- 
ognized it  as  that  of  Dick  Lizard.  "  We  are  here, 
most  of  us.  The  Portugals  have  got  three  still,  nut 
they'll  be  out  soon  and  come  on  here." 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  153 

Dick,  being  low  down,  had  not  seen  the  lights 
near  the  castle.  Edward  told  him  of  the  circum- 
stance. 

"  Then  the  poor  fellows  will  be  caught,"  cried 
Dick.  "  If  we  had  a  chance  we'd  go  back  and  help 
them  ;  but  we've  none.  It's  the  chance  of  war.  If 
the  scoundrel  Portugals  kill  them,  we'll  avenge 
them  some  day.  But  step  in,  sir,  and  we'll  shove 
off.  We  are  sadly  short-handed,  that's  the  worst  of 
it,  if  we  are  chased.     However,  it  can't  be  helped." 

Edward  had  not  spoken  to  Donna  Isabel  for  some 
seconds,  or  it  might  be  a  minute  or  two  ;  certainly 
not  since  he  had  heard  Lizard's  voice.  Now  came 
the  perplexing  point,  what  would  she  do  ?  Don 
Joao  was  not  in  the  boat,  nor  any  of  her  country- 
men. Would  she  desire  to  accompany  him  ?  He 
turned  to  address  her,  to  express  his  deep  gratitude 
for  her  noble  exertions,  and  the  arrangements  she 
had  made  thus  far  so  successfully  to  enable  him  to 
escape.  Great  and  painful  was  his  astonishment, 
however,  when,  on  turning,  Donna  Isabel  was  no- 
where to  be  seen.     Lizard  had  not  perceived  her. 

"  When  I  first  caught  sight  of  you,  Master  Ray- 
mond, you  were  alone ;  that  I'll  swear,  sir,"  he  re- 
plied. 

Edward  sprang  back  horrified. 

"  Donna  Isabel !  Donna  Isabel !  "  he  shouted. 
He  felt  as  grieved  and  alarmed  as  he  would  have 
done  had  she  been  a  beloved  sister.  The  dreadful 
idea  seized  him  that  she  must  have  slipped  off  the 


154  ASTONY  WAYMOVTHi  OR, 

rock  and  been  drowned ;  for  calm  as  was  the  sea, 
the  swell  sent  a  constant  current  into  the  harbor, 
which  would  instantly  have  drawn  her  away  from 
the  spot  where  she  had  fallen. 

"  Donna  Isabel  !  Donna  Isabel  !' "  he  again 
shouted.  # 

No  answer  was  given.  To  delay  longer  would 
have  been  useless.  Dick  and  the  other  men  had 
joined  in  the  fruitless  search.  They  now  literally 
forced  him  into  the  boat,  and,  shoving  off,  began  to 
pull  down  the  harbor.  As  they  did  so,  one  of  the 
men  declared  he  saw  an  object  floating  by  —  an  up- 
lifted hand.  On  they  pulled  ;  it  was  ahead.  Again 
it  was  seen.  At  that  moment  lights  appeared  on 
the  beach,  and  advancing  along  the  rocks.  The 
fugitives  were,  however,  on  the  element  they  loved. 
They  were  free.  A  few  strokes  more  and  they 
would  be  out  of  the  harbor,  when,  alas !  the  stem 
of  the  boat  struck  against  a  chain  drawn  tightly 
across  the  mouth,  and  the  loud  cries  and  derisive 
shouts  of  the  Portugals  told  them  that  their  hopes 
of  escape  were  vain. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  155 


CHAPTER    VII. 

It  would  be  impossible  thoroughly  to  describe 
the  feelings  of  disappointment  which  the  English- 
men experienced  when  they  discovered  that  they 
were  caught  like  fish  in  a  net.  The  Portugals  were 
advancing  along  the  rocks  on  both  sides  of  the  har- 
bor, and  in  the  narrow  channel  where  they  were 
they  would  all  be  shot  down,  or  must  yield  directly 
they  were  summoned.  In  vain  they  tried  to  break 
through  the  chain.  Again  and  again  they  dashed 
the  stem  of  their  boat  against  it.  No  weapon  of  suf- 
ficient strength  to  cut  it  was  to  be  found  in  the  boat. 
Dick  and  another  man  leaped  overboard,  and,  bal- 
ancing themselves  on  the  chain,  attempted  to  lift 
the  boat  over,"  but  she  was  far  too  heavy  to  allow 
them  a  chance  of  success.  Hitherto  the  Portugals 
had  not  fired  ;  it  might  have  been  because  they  be- 
lieved that  Donna  Isabel  was  with  them,  or  that, 
having  to  scramble  along  the  rocks,  they  had  left 
their  weapons  behind  them. 

"  Oh,  boys !  if  we  had  but  a  place  to  swim  to, 
we'd  swim  rather  than  be  caught  by  these  baboon- 
faced  Portugals,"  cried  Dick,  as  he  reluctantly 
re-entered  the  boat. 

Lights  were  now  seen  as  if  on  the  water  itself. 


156  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

"  The  Portugals  have  launched  some  boats,  and 
are  coming  in  pursuit ! "  shouted  Lizard. 

"  Never  mind,  lads ;  if  we  can  but  get  through 
their  chain,  we'll  hold  them  a  long  chase  yet.  Now, 
lads,  a  hearty  pull  and  pull  all  together." 

Heartily  the  seamen  did  pull,  and  stove  in  the 
bow  of  the  boat,  and  sprang  every  one  of  their  oars. 
With  no  very  complimentary  remarks  on  the  Portu- 
gals' rotten  spars,  they  broke  them  completely  in 
two,  and  each  man,  grasping  the  inner  end,  prepared 
to  use  it  as  a  quarter-staff.  Scarcely  had  they  thus 
armed  themselves  when  three  boats  dashed  up  along- 
side them.  Several  voices  ordered  them  to  yield 
themselves  prisoners. 

"  Yield  ourselves  prisoners !  "  exclaimed  Dick. 
"  Come  and  take  us,  you  blackguards !  We'll  just 
have  the  pleasure  of  cracking  some  of  your  skulls 
first." 

Although  the  Portugals  did  not  understand  Dick's 
polite  observations,  they  concluded  from  the  tone  of 
his  voice  that  they  were  not  conciliatory,  and  there- 
fore, with  threats  of  vengeance,  they  pressed  round 
them.  Great  was  their  astonishment  and  indigna- 
tion as  they  were  about  to  jump  on  board  the  fugi- 
tives' boat  to  find  showers  of  blows  descend  on  their 
heads  with  such  hearty  good-will,  that  with  many 
a  cracked  skull  they  sprang  back  into  their  own 
boats  faster  than  they  had  left  them.  The  Portu- 
gals in  the  boats  so  thickly  surrounded  the  English 
that  the  former  could  not  use  their  fire-arms,  while 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  157 

those  on  the  rocks  were  also  afraid  to  fire  for  fear 
of  hitting  their  friends.  Bravely  and  gallantly  the 
seamen  held  out. 

"  Hurrah  for  the  true  English  quarter-staves, 
lads ! "  cried  Dick,  as  he  dealt  blow  after  blow  on 
the  heads  of  the  Portugals,  his  example  being  ably 
followed  by  the  rest  of  the  men. 

Edward  shouted  and  encouraged  his  followers, 
though  less  vociferously.  Several  of  the  Portugals 
were  knocked  overboard ;  others,  stunned,  fell  back 
into  the  bottom  of  their  boats ;  and  others,  with 
broken  arms  and  bruised  shoulders,  shouted  -r- 
"  Treachery !  treachery  !  Help !  help !  Fire  !  fire ! " 
and  all  sorts  of  cries,  under  the  belief  that  the  num- 
bers of  the  fugitives  were  far  greater  than  was  the 
case. 

As  long  as  the  enemy  could  be  kept  at  close 
quarters  the  English  had  greatly  the  advantage ; 
but  at  length  so  greatly  worsted  were  the  Portugals 
that  the  survivors  and  the  unmanned,  getting  out 
their  oars,  and  shoving  off  from  the  boat  which  con- 
tained the  audacious  English,  fairly  took  to  flight, 
and  pulled  away  up  the  harbor,  maliciously  shouting 
as  they  went  —  . 

"  Fire !  fire  at  the  chain  !  " 

Their  cries  were  heard,  and  the  rattle  of  fire-arms 
followed,  and  the  bright  flashes  were  seen,  while  the 
shot  whistled  over  the  only  spot  at  which  the  pris- 
oners could  hope  to  make  their  escape,  even  if  they 
could   manage  to  cut   or  force  the  chain.     As  it 


158  AXTOXY   WAYMOUTH;  OK. 

would  have  been  certain  death  to  make  the  attempt, 
Raymond  proposed  a  still  more  daring  scheme  —  to 
pull  up  the  harbor  after  the  Portugal  boats,  to 
board  one  of  them  before  the  people  had  recovered 
from  their  panic,  to  seize  their  arms,  and  then  to  try 
and  make  terms  with  the  enemy,  or  to  die  fighting 
bravely  with  weapons  in  their  hands  which  might  be 
used  at  a  longer  distance  than  could  their  quarter- 
staves.  The  idea  was  no  sooner  suggested  than  put 
into  execution.  The  boats  had  only  gone  up  a 
short  distance,  and  before  the  Portugals  were  aware 
that  they  were  pursued,  the  English,  with  their 
dreaded  quarter -staves,  were  battering  away  on 
their  skulls,  and  in  a  few  seconds  had  possessed 
themselves  of  all  the  fire-arms,  ammunition,  and 
swords  to  be  found  on  board.  Another  boat  was 
overtaken,  and  before  those  on  board  had  recovered 
from  their  astonishment  they  were  also  deprived  of 
their  arms.  The  English  now  dashed  on  so  as  to 
reach  the  shore  before  their  opponents,  and  be 
ready  to  stand  on  their  defence.  Their  success  was 
greater  than  they  anticipated.  As  the  Portugals 
were  looking  in  other  directions,  no  one  opposed 
them,  and  they  had  time  not  only  to  leap  on  shore, 
but  to  reach  a  rock  on  the  beach  which  Raymond 
recollected  so  close  to  the  water  that  it  prevented 
any  one  approaching  on  that  side,  while  the  rock 
itself  formed  a  rampart  in  front,  behind  which  they 
could  fight.  Here  Edward  found  himself  with  Dick 
Lizard  and  ten  other  men,  some  of  them  more  or 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  159 

less  wounded,  but  all  able  to  use  their  weapons. 
Although  they  knew  that  they  must  ultimately  be 
starved  out  or  overwhelmed  by  numbers,  yet,  like 
brave  men,  they  agreed  not  to  yield  while  resistance 
could  by  any  possibility  avail  them.  Some  time 
passed — no  enemy  appeared.  What  were  the  Por- 
tugals  about  to  do  ?  was  the  question. 

"  They  don't  know  where  we've  got  to,  and 
they're  boasting  that  they've  killed  us,"  suggested 
Dick  in  a  low  voice. 

Edward  had  still  a  lingering  hope  that  they  might 
escape.  The  minutes  were  very  long,  but  they 
increased  into  hours,  and  at  last  the  day  dawned, 
and  Dick,  looking  out  from  behind  his  hiding-place, 
could  see  the  Portugals  scattered  about  among  the 
rocks  near  the  harbor  still  looking  for  them.  Day- 
light, however,  exhibited  the  boat  on  the  beach,  and 
the  marks  of  their  feet  on  the  sand.  Their  place 
of  refuge  was  soon  discovered,  and  now  in  numbers 
the  Portugals  came  crowding  up  from  all  quarters, 
thinking  that  they  were  about  to  take  their  prey  on 
easy  terms,  and  vowring  vengeance  on  their  heads. 
The  rock,  however,  formed  a  breastwork  which  no 
bullets  could  penetrate,  nor  even  could  round  shot 
from  ordnance  make  any  impression  on  it.  The 
shape  was  that  of  a  half-moon,  the  convex  side 
being  towards  the  shore,  with  the  two  horns  running 
some  way  into  the  water  where  it  was  too  deep  for 
any  one  to  wade,  except  the  sea  was  unusually 
smooth. 


130  ANTONY  WAYMOUTU;   OR, 

On  the  sea  side  there  was  deep  water,  outside  of 
which  was  a  ledge  of  broken  rocks  here  and  there 
showing  their  heads,  forming  a  barrier  no  boats 
could  pas's,  with  what  may  be  described  as  a  lagoon 
of  smooth  water  inside  the  rocks.  Thus  Raymond 
and  his  party  were  completely  protected  from  the 
sea,  unless  a  boat  could  be  dragged  overland  and 
launched  beyond  the  rock  into  the  lagoon.  This 
could  easily  have  been  done  under  ordinary  cir- 
cumstances, but  any  persons  now  attempting  it 
would  have  been  exposed  to  the  fire  of  the  English 
from  the  rock.  Edward  had  noted  some  of  the  ad- 
vantages offered  by  the  rock  as  a  place  where  a  few 
determined  men  might  defend  themselves,  but  the 
strength  of  its  position  surpassed  his  expectations. 
It  was  the  recollection  of  this  rock  which  made  him 
propose  the  bold  attack  on  the  Portugals  in  their 
boats  which  proved  so  successful.  Some  of  the  Por- 
tugals, it  was  observed,  advanced  bravely  enough, 
but  others,  whose  heads  were  bandaged,  though 
they  shouted  and  urged  on  their  countrymen,  hung 
back,  and  seemed  in  no  way  inclined  to  encounter 
the  daring  Englishmen.  Dick  Lizard  pointed  them 
out  to  his  companions. 

"  Ha,  ha !  the  varlets !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  They 
know  the  flavor  of  our  English  quarter-staves,  and 
don't  want  a  second  taste  of  them." 

Raymond  had  no  necessity  to  counsel  his  men  to 
be  steady,  for  every  one  had  his  weapons  ready,  and 
stood  as  cool  as  if  no  enemy  were  advancing  to  the 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  161 

attack.  Still  the  number  of  their  opponents  was 
sufficient  to  daunt  the  stoutest  hearts.  Not  only 
were  there  Portugals,  but  swarthy  natives  in  light 
garments  and  long  matchlocks,  nimble  fellows  who 
looked  capable  of  climbing  over  the  rocks  like  wild- 
cats, and  proving  troublesome  at  close  quarters. 
There  were  some  gayly-bedccked  cavaliers  on  horse- 
back, but  of  them  the  seamqn  took  but  little  ac- 
count. 

"  All  we've  to  do,  lads,  is  to  kill  the  steeds,  and 
then  your  horsemen  become  clumsy  footmen,"  ex- 
claimed Lizard  as  he  saw  them  galloping  up  over 
the  sand-hills  from  the  interior. 

The  Portugals,  who,  like  wise  men,  seemed  to  be 
lovers  of  long  shots,  began  to  fire  towards  the  rock, 
not  all  together  nor  taking  good  aim,  but  as  each 
man  thought  he  could  hit  an  enemy  without  being 
hit  himself.  The  leaden  bullets  mostly  flew  high 
overhead,  but  a  few  came  spluttering  against  the 
rock  to  fall  flattened  into  the  crevices  or  to  roll 
down  into  the  sand.  Edward  ordered  his  followers 
to  keep  under  cover,  he  alone  watching  the  progress 
of  their  foes.  On  they  came,  the  showers  of  shots 
increasing  in  thickness,  but  being  perfectly  innoc- 
uous. The  nearer  they  got  the  higher  the  shot 
flew,  so  that  no  harm  was'  done  except  to  the  Por- 
tugals themselves  by  the  bursting  of  some  of  their 
fire-arms. 

"  Wait,  lads,  till  they  get  close  up  to  the  rock, 
and  then  fire  and  knock  over  the  foremost  dozen  at 
11 


102  AXTOXY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

the  least,"  he  cried  out.  "  Maybe  they  won't  ex- 
pect the  warm  reception  we  can  give  them." 

Raymond,  like  a  good  officer,  having  made  the 
utmost  of  his  position  and  taken  every  proper  pre- 
caution to  insure  success,  did  his  best  to  encourage 
his  men  and  to  make  them  despise  their  enemies. 
Foolish  and  ignorant  officers  neglect  the  necessary 
preparations  and  precautions,  and  yet  fancy  that 
they  are  exhibiting  their  bravery  by  despising  their 
foes.  This  has  ever  been  a  great  cause  of  defeat 
and  disaster.  There  was  a  pause.  The  Portugals 
had  not  the  heart  to  make  a  rush  forward,  and  the 
English  were  unwilling  to  throw  their  precious  shot 
away. 

The  Portugals  were  seen  to  halt,  as  if  to  hold  a 
consultation.  The  perfect  quietness  of  the  Eng- 
lish alarmed  them  more  than  loud  shouting  and 
noise  would  have  done.  They  did  not  know  what 
to  make  of  it. 

"  Ha !  ha !  they've  no  stomach  for  the  fight," 
whispered  Dick,  who  had  popped  up  his  head  to  see 
what  was  going-  forward.  "  They're  just  thinking 
whether  they'll  go  back  to  their  wives  and  families, 
or  come  on  and  be  shot.  We'll  teach  them  the 
wisest  thing  to  do." 

The  pause  was  broken  by  the  sound  of  a  trumpet, 
and  a  cavalcade  was  seen  approaching  from  the 
direction  of  the  castle.  As  it  drew  near,  Edward 
recognize^  by  his  dress  and  bearing  Don.  Lobo  at  its 
head.     An  officer  was  now  seen  to  gallop  forward 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  163 

towards  what  might  be  called  the  storming  party, 
but  that  they  appeared  to  have  no  great  inclination 
to  storm.  His  message  seemed  to  expedite  their 
movements,  and  with  loud  shouts  and  a  hotter  fire 
they  once  more  advanced.  Finding  also  that  the 
garrison  of  the  rock  did  not  reply,  their  courage  in- 
creased as  did  their  shouts  and  their  speed,  although 
it  requires  a  stout  heart  to  march  towards  an  enemy 
over  heavy  sand. 

"  They'll  go  back,  an'  I  mistake  not,  faster  than 
they  are  coming  on,"  whispered  Dick. 

"  Steady,  my  merry  men,"  cried  Raymond  as  the 
Portugals  were  crowding  on  within  a  few  paces  of 
the  rock. 

Numbers  had  already  begun  to  climb  its  slippery 
sides,  pressing  on  each  other,  the  hinder  ones  urging 
on  those  in  front,  the  rearmost  feeling  their  valor  at 
the  highest  pitch,  when  Edward  perceived  that  the 
time  for  action  had  arrived. 

"  Now,  lads,  give  it  them !  "  he  exclaimed,  setting 
the  example  by  firing  his  piece,  which  was  of  the 
blunderbuss  genus,  rammed  full  of  shot,  and  knock- 
ing over  three  if  not  more  of  the  stormers.  The 
rest  of  the  party  discharged  their  fire-arms  at  the 
same  moment,  lodging  their  contents  in  the  bodies 
of  some  score  or  more  of  their  assailants.  They, 
the  most  part  killed,  with  many  who,  though  unhurt, 
were  terribly  alarmed,  tumbled  back  on  their  com- 
rades in  the  rear,  all  rolling  down  the  rock  together, 
and  so    thoroughly  bedabbled  with   blood  that  it 


164  AX  TONY   WAYMOUTH:   OR, 

appeared  as  if  thp  whole  party  were  desperately 
wounded.  This  damped  the  courage  of  the  rest. 
Some  stood  irresolute,  others  actually  ran,  and 
others  shouted  to  their  comrades  to  go  on,  but  did 
not  themselves  advance.  This  enabled  the  English 
seamen  to  reload  their  fire-arms,  and  as  it  was  evi- 
dent that  the  fight  would  be  carried  on  at  close 
quarters,  each  man  put  as  many  shot  into  his  piece 
as  it  would  hold. 

"  Now  we  are  ready  once  more  for  the  Portugal  s ! 
Hurrah,  lads !  give  it  them  again  !  "  shouted  Dick, 
while  the  enemy  hesitated  to  advance. 

Several  fire-arms  had  been  taken  from  the  boats 
besides  those  of  which  each  man  had  possessed  him- 
self. These  were  also  loaded  and  placed  ready  for 
use.  The  spirits  of  the  seamen  rose  as  they  saw 
the  way  in  which  the  first  attack  had  been  repulsed. 
Of  the  future  they  did  not  think.  Edward,  on  the 
contrary,  could  not  help  thinking  of  the  result,  and 
felt  that  their  lives  must  be  sacrificed  in  the  end, 
and  that,  as  they  had  resolved  to  sell  them  dear, 
the  longer  they  fought  was  but  adding  to  their 
price.  Still  he  kept  his  courage  up  and  resolved  to 
persevere  to  the  end.  Still  the  enemy  did  not  ad- 
vance. The  governor  was  seen  in  the  distance,  and 
appeared  to  be  furious  at  the  hesitation  of  his  men. 
Message  after  message  was  sent  to  them  to  goad 
them  on.  The  trumpets  sounded  the  charge,  and 
with  shouts  and  cries  they  once  more  advanced  to 
climb  the  rock.     Again  Edward  allowed  them  to 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  165 

approach  till  the  most  daring  had  got  high  enough 
to  bring  their  breasts  up  to  the  muzzles  of  the 
pieces. 

"  Fire,  my  merry  men,  fire  !  "  he  shouted. 

The  result  was  even  more  terrible  than  at  first, 
and  numbers  of  killed  and  wounded  men  rolled 
back  on  their  comrades,  throwing  their  ranks  once 
more  into  confusion.  '  This  time,  however,  others 
attempted  to  come  on,  but  Edward,  leaving  two  of 
his  party  to  reload  the  fire-arms,  led  on  the  rest 
armed  with  their  quarter-staves,  and  leaping  on  the 
rock  gave  the  foe  so  unexpected  a  reception  that 
they  were  driven  helter-skelter  back  and  fairly  put 
to  flight.  Edward  restrained  his  men  from  firing 
a  volley  after  them,  as  ammunition  was  too  precious 
to  be  thrown  away.  This  success  gave  them  a  short 
breathing-time.  Raymond  had  little  hopes,  how- 
ever, of  obtaining  fair  and  honorable  terms.  Car- 
rying off  their  wounded,  but  leaving  their  dead 
under  the  rock,  the  Portugal*  withdrew  to  a  dis- 
tance. 

The  Englishmen  had  time  now  to  consider  their 
position  and  what  was  to  be  done.  They  were  as 
unanimous  as  at  first  in  determining  to  hold  out  to 
the  last  gasp.  Indeed,  Edward  reminded  them  that 
if  they  yielded  they  would  certainly  be  put  to  death. 
Without  saying  any  thing,  Dick  slipped  from  among 
the  rest,  and  with  a  large  knife  in  his  hand  rushed 
into  the  water.  He  speedily  returned  with  a  large 
bunch  of  clams  and  other  shell-fish. 


166  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

"  Ha !  ha !  the  Portugals  will  not  starve  us  out 
as  quickly  as  they  think,"  he  exclaimed  triumph- 
antly. "  That's  the  reason,  I  take  it,  that  they  hold 
back." 

Probably  Dick  was  right  in  his  conjecture.  There 
was  no  want  of  driftwood  under  the  rock,  and, 
though  raw  shell-fish  have  often  been  eaten,  even 
seamen  prefer  them  cooked.  A  fire  was  soon 
lighted,  and  all  the  garrison  were  speedily  employed 
in  roasting  the  shell-fish.  The  Portugals  on  seeing 
the  smoke  must  have  guessed  its  cause,  for  they 
were  soon  again  seen  assembling  to  renew  the  at- 
tack. Edward  saw  that  the  time  had  come  when 
they  must  prepare  to  die  like  brave  men,  for  he 
could  not  hope  to  repulse  another  attack  as  success- 
fully as  he  had  done  the  first.  Often  did  the  brave 
band  wish  they  were  on  the  deck  of  a  stout  ship 
prepared  to  do  battle  on  somewhat  equal  terms, 
with  a  prospect  of  victory  in  the  end,  or  at  worst  to 
go  down  with  colors  flying  to  find  their  graves  in 
the  element  they  loved  so  well.  Ever  and  anon, 
and  naturally  enough,  they  turned  a  wistful  gaze 
over  the  ocean,  and  a  sail  was  now  descried  in  the 
horizon.  The  circumstance  could  scarcely  give 
rise  to  hope,  and  yet  often  and  often,  as  men  would 
do,  they  turned  their  eyes  in  the  same  direction  to 
watch  her  progress.  She  was,  however,  not  direct- 
ly approaching  the  shore,  for  the  land  breeze  yet 
blew  strongly  off  it,  but  she  was  standing  along  it 
close-hauled  from  the  southward. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  107 

"  She  is  edging  in  for  the  land  !  "  cried  Dick 
Lizard.  "  She  may  be  a  Portugal,  or  a  Spaniard, 
or  a  Hollander  ;  but  oh,  boys  !  she  may —  she  may 
be  an  honest  Englishman,  and  bring  us  help  at  our 
great  need." 

"  The  Lord  grant  that  so  it  may  be !  "  said  Ed- 
ward, who,  without  pretension,  had  true  religious 
principles,  and  was  not  ashamed  of  his  feelings. 
"  We  are  in  his  hands.  Let  us  pray  for  protection, 
and  he  will  not  desert  us." 

And  then  and  there,  on  the  sand  and  rocks,  like 
sturdy  believers  as  they  were,  they  knelt  down, 
with  their  arms  in  their  hands,  and  humbly  poured 
out  their  petition  to  Heaven  for  aid.  Then  they 
rose  and  looked  out  for  the  enemy.  The  land  wind, 
as  has  been  said,  was  blowing,  and  the  heat  was 
very  great,  especially  on  the  sands,  and  the  Portu- 
gal seemed  rather  inclined  to  take  their  siesta  than 
to  fight  with  enemies  whom  they  believed  they  had 
got  securely  in  a  trap  from  which  they  could  not 
ultimately  escape  death  or  capture. 

As  the  sun  rose  the  wind  died  away,  and  the  heat 
became  almost  unbearable.  Some  of  Edward's 
party  declared  that  they  should  be  roasted  alive, 
and  that  they  felt  themselves  bubbling  and  hissing 
already. 

"  Never  mind,  lads,  a  plunge  in  the  sea  will  soon 
cool  us  ;  and  that's  what  I  propose  we  take  to  when 
our  ammunition  is  all  gone,"  cried  Dick. 

Even  while  he  was  talking,  however,  a  ripple  was 


168  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

seen  to  play  over  the  surface  of  the  lagoon,  and  a 
faint  breeze  fanned  their  scorched  cheeks. 

"  Hurrah,  lads  !  here  comes  the  honest  sea  wind," 
exclaimed  Dick.     "  May  it  blow  us  good  luck !  " 

Stronger  and  stronger  it  blew,  and  now  the 
strange  ship  was  seen  to  be  rapidly  approaching 
the  land  under  all  sail,  having  squared  away  her 
yards  before  it.  Had  the  Portugals  been  more  wide 
awake  they  would  have  long  since  seen  her.  They 
seemed,  indeed,  in  no  way  disconcerted  at  her 
appearance.  After  a  time,  the  Portugal  flag  was 
seen  flying  at  her  peak,  and  they  were  evidently 
prepared  to  welcome  her  as  a  friend.  The  hopes 
of  most  of  the  party  again  sank  low.  Dick,  how- 
ever, constantly  kept  his  eye  on  the  stranger, 
scanning  her  sails  and  rigging  and  lofty  hull.  He 
had  not  much  time  to  engage  in  this  agreeable 
occupation  before  Raymond  called  his  men  to  their 
posts,  for  the  enemy  were  seen  mustering  in  great 
numbers,  probably  ashamed  that  their  countrymen 
should  find  them  kept  at  bay  by  a  mere  handful  of 
foreigners.  Don  Lobo  himself  rode  forth  from  the 
castle  with  his  staff  of  officers,  and  drums  beat,  and 
trumpets  brayed,  and  cymbals  clashed  as  the  troops 
rushed  forward  to  the  assault.     On  they  came. 

"  Steady  as  before,  my  brave  men,  and  we'll  beat 
them  off  again,"  cried  Edward. 

Up  the  rock  they  climbed  with  fierce  shouts  and 
denunciations  of  vengeance,  but  the  same  mistake 
was  again  committed  as  at  first  —  the  bravest  had 


"■wWfcV    „ 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  169 

been  allowed  to  go  first,  the  more  cowardly  follow- 
ing. Again  the  little  English  band  of  heroes  let  fly 
their  pieces,  knocking  over  the  leaders,  who,  falling 
back,  threw  the  rest  into  disorder.  Some  struggled 
on,  and  the  English  quarter-staves  again  came  into 
use.  Several  of  the  English  were,  however,  wounded 
by  the  pistols  of  the  Portugals.  Raymond  got  a 
severe  cut  on  his  left  arm,  and  a  bullet  went 
through  the  brain  of  another  man.  Still  the  sea- 
men struggled  on,  and  making  a  rush  all  together, 
drove  the  Portugals  once  more  to  the  bottom  of  the 
rock.  Now,  had  the  cowards  led  the  way  they 
would  have  undoubtedly  been  killed  by  the  volley 
of  the  English ;  but  before  the  latter  could  reload, 
the  braver  men  would  have  been  upon  them,  and 
would  probably  have  ended  the  unequal  contest.- 
As  it  was,  so  great  was  the  awe  inspired  by  the 
English  seamen's  determined  bravery,  that  it  was 
some  time  before  the  Portugals  could  be  again 
brought  up  to  the  attack. 

During  the  interval  the  stranger  ship  had 
approached  as  near  the  shore  as  it  was  safe  to  ven- 
ture, and  had  there  cast  anchor,  just  beyond  the 
range  of  the  guns  of  the  castle.  Several  boats 
were  seen  to  be  lowered  from  her  lofty  sides.  They 
were  at  once  filled  with  men  and  pulled  towards 
the  shore,  under  cover  of  the  ship's  guns.  The 
ship  had  come  to  an  anchor  while  the  fighting  was 
going  forward,  and  no  sooner  were  the  enemy 
repulsed  than  Lizard  turned  his  eyes  towards  the 


170  ANTONY  WATMOUTH;  OR, 

ocean  to  ascertain  what  the  stranger  was  about. 
He  took  a  steady  gaze  at  her,  and  then  giving 
a  loud  slap  with  his  hand  on  his  thigh,  he  ex- 
claimed — 

"  The  Lion,  lads,  the  Lion  !  Hurrah  !  Old 
England  for  ever  !     Hurrah  !  " 

His  shouts  made  all  his  companions  turn  their 
eyes  in  the  same  direction,  and  so  asborbed  were 
they  in  gazing  at  the  stranger,  that  had  the  enemy 
stormed  at  that  moment  the  little  English  band 
would  have  been  cut  to  pieces.  A  second  glance 
was  not  necessary  to  convince  Edward  that  the  ship 
he  saw  was  indeed  the  Lion  herself. 

The  Portugals,  it  seemed  by  their  movements, 
began  to  have  some  suspicions  of  the  character  of 
the  stranger,  and  of  the  object  of  the  boats  in  coming 
on  shore.  It  made  them  still  more  eager  to  recap- 
ture their  former  prisoners,  and  to  retire  to  the  fort. 
Doubly  resolved,  however,  were  Raymond  and  his 
men  to  hold  out  till  their  countrymen  could  come 
to  their  rescue.  The  boats  were  steering  for  a  bay 
between  the  rock  and  the  castle.  Again  the  Portu- 
gals began  to  assail  the  rock  with  fierce  cries  of 
vengeance.  The  seamen  shouted  in  return.  Hot- 
ter and  hotter  grew  the  fight ;  the  eleven  defenders 
of  the  rock  stood  boldly  at  bay,  hurling  the  Portu- 
gals down  the  rock,  casting  their  pistols,  which  they 
snatched  from  their  hands,  after  them,  and  often 
bringing  their  own  quarter-staves  into  play.  Still, 
from  loss  of  blood  and  the  constant  attacks  of  the 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  171 

enemy,  their  strength  began  to  fail ;  even  Edward 
felt  that  nature  would  give  way,  when  the  stranger's 
boats  reached  the  beach.  Each  boat  was  full  of 
men,  who  leaped  on  shore  and  formed  in  two  par- 
ties —  one  pushing  towards  the  castle,  the  other, 
shouting  "  St.  George  and  Merry  England !  "  to- 
wards the  rock.  On  they  came.  There  was  no 
doubt  that  they  were  friends.  Some  of  the  Portu- 
gals  faced  about  to  meet  them  ;  but  so  furiously  did 
the  strangers  charge,  that,  after  exchanging  several 
blows,  resulting  in  not  a  few  cracked  skulls,  those 
who  could  run  took  to  their  heels  and  fled.  Edward, 
seeing  this,  charged  down  on  his  assailants,  driving 
them  before  him  to  the  bottom  of  the  rock,  which 
his  friends  at  the  same  moment  reached.  The  re- 
mainder of  the  enemy,  finding  themselves  between 
two  fires,  made  no  attempt  at  defence,  but  as  many 
as  could  escape  ran  off  inland,  the  rest  being  cut  to 
pieces  or  made  prisoners. 

Hearty  were  the  greetings  as  shipmates,  long 
separated,  clasped  the  hands  of  shipmates  —  for  the 
new-comers  were  the  brave  Lions.  Raymond's  first 
inquiry  was  for  Antony  Waymouth. 

"  The  captain  is  leading  the  other  party,"  was 
the  answer.  "  Our  orders  are  to  push  on  to  join 
him." 

"  Oh,  let  us  go  ! "  cried  Edward,  forgetting  his 
wounds,  fatigue,  and  every  thing,  and  eager  only  to 
join  his  friend. 

On  they  went  over  the  hot  sands,  not  altogether 


172  ANTONY  WAY  MOUTH ;  OR, 

unmolested ;  for  the  Portugals  fired  at  them  from  a 
distance,  and  here  and  there  one  of  the  party  was 
hit ;  but  no  one  seemed  to  care  for  wounds  —  the 
Castle  of  San  Pedro,  with  the  reputed  riches  of  its 
savage  governor,  was  to  be  their  prize.  The  two 
parties  met  under  the  walls.  There  was  a  short  but 
hearty  greeting  between  Antony  Waymouth  and 
Edward  Raymond. 

"  We  have  no  lack  of  gold  and  jewels  already 
aboard  the  Lion,"  exclaimed  the  former  ;  "  but  an' 
we  become  masters  of  what  this  castle  holds  we  may 
turn  our  bows  homeward,  and  no  longer  go  roam- 
ing the  world  around  for  gold  ;  that  those  who  have 
lady-loves  may  wed  and  live  like  lords  of  the  land  to 
the  end  of  their  days.  Yet  I  tell  thee,  Ned,  I  am 
more  glad  to  see  thee  alive  and  hearty  than  if  I  had 
gained  this  fortress." 

There  was  no  time  for  Edward  to  tell  his  story. 
Waymouth  assured  him  that,  had  he  suspected  he 
was  with  the  defenders  of  the  rock,  he  should  have 
come  in  person  to  his  assistance.  Waymouth's 
party  had  landed  with  some  scaling-ladders  and  a 
small  ram  used  for  battering  open  gates.  The  men 
were  all  eager  to  begin  the  attack.  They  had  halted 
under  shelter  of  some  rocks  near  the  forts.  With  a 
loud  cheer  the  men  sprang  forward  as  the  bugles 
sounded  for  the  assault.  Some  placed  the  scaling- 
ladders  against  the  walls,  and  began  to  climb  up 
with  a  celerity  and  activity  which  only  seamen  can 
display  ;  others  bore  on  the  battering-ram  towards 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  173 

one  of  the  gates,  which  they  battered  with  vigorous 
blows ;  while  a  third  party,  armed  with  arquebuses 
aud  cross-bows,  shot  bullets  and  bolts  towards  the 
walls,  bringing  down  all  who  appeared  upon  them. 

Although,  from  so  great  a  number  of  the  Portu- 
gal having  been  put  to  flight,  the  defenders  were 
few,  the  walls  were  high  and  the  gates  strong,  and , 
to  get  into  the  castle  was  no  easy  matter.  As  to 
the  gate,  the  Portugals  let  the  battering-ram  do  its 
worst  without  interfering,  while  they  united  all 
their  efforts  in  opposing  the  escaladers,  who,  as  they 
reached  the  summit  of  the  ladders,  again  and  again 
were  hurled  down,  some  with  broken  heads  and 
gashed  shoulders  and  arms,  and  others  killed  out- 
right, though  not  a  few  were  ready,  as  at  first,  to 
climb  up  and  renew  the  attack. 

Waymouth  and  his  officers  exerted  themselves 
gallantly,  but  discovered  that  stone  walls  are  hard 
things  for  men  to  knock  their  heads  against,  and 
many  began  to  fear  that  the  exploit  must  be  aban- 
doned, when  Edward,  who,  in  spite  of  his  wound, 
had  not  been  behindhand  in  exhibiting  his  courage, 
recollected  the  gate  out  of  which  Donna  Isabel  had 
conducted  him  the  previous  night,  and  the  angle  of 
the  wall  down  which  he  had  slipped.  Telling  Way- 
mouth  what  he  proposed  doing,  he  summoned  Dick 
Lizard  and  some  of  his  companions  in  captivity, 
with  a  few  other  fresh  men,  and,  briefly  explaining 
his  plans,  led  them  round  close  under  the  walls  on 
the  sand  where  it  was  evidently  generally  washed 


174  ANTOUfY  WAY  MOUTH;  OR, 

by  the  sea.  The  angle  was  reached,  and  by  the 
rope  which  Edward  had  left  hanging  over  when 
making  his  escape  he  prepared  to  climb  up,  though 
each  of  his  men  was  eager  to  lead.  Young  Marston, 
who  was  the  only  midshipman  of  the  party,  espe- 
cially entreated  that  he  might  go. 

"  I'll  be  at  the  top  in  a  moment,  sir,"  he  whis- 
pered. "  I'll  let  you  know  if  there  are  any  Portu- 
gal near,  and  if  they  tumble  me  over  it  will  matter 
nothing." 

Edward,  however,  would  allow  no  one  to  precede 
him.  He  grasped  the  rope,  and  began  his  ascent. 
How  different  were  his  feelings  from  what  they  had 
been  when  descending  a  few  hours  before  !  Mars- 
ton  followed  directly  after  him.  Up  he  climbed, 
expecting  every  moment  a  Portugal's  head  to  appear 
over  the  parapet,  and  to  see  the  rope  cut  above  him. 
On  he  went,  though.  The  summit  was  reached,  and 
throwing  himself  on  it,  he  drew  his  sword  and  stood 
ready  to  defend  the  spot  till  his  men  should  have 
likewise  gained  a  footing.  Marston  was  by  his  side 
in  a  moment.  When  they  looked  around,  not  a 
Portugal  was  to  be  seen  to  stop  their  progress. 
Forward  they  rushed  accordingly,  and  got  half  way 
across  the  open  before  they  were  discovered  by  one 
of  the  garrison.  The  man  who  first  saw  them  sum- 
moned others,  and  a  pretty  strong  party  was  col- 
lected to  oppose  them,  who,  rushing  down,  met  them 
before  they  reached  the  gate  at  which  they  were 
aiming.      So   furiously,  however,  did   the   seamen 


THE   GEXTLEMEX  ADVENTURERS.  175 

charge  the  enemy,  that  they  were  driven  back,  cut 
down,  or  put  to  flight  before  any  one  had  time  to 
shut  the  gate,  which,  as  Edward  had  hoped  might  be 
the  case,  was  left  open.  A  few  rushed  in  before 
them,  and  a  desperate  struggle  ensued.  In  the 
end  not  a  Portugal  remained  alive.  The  passages 
resounded  with  the  tramp  of  armed  men,  the  clash 
of  steel,  the  reports  of  pistols,  and  the  cries  of  the 
wounded,  while  clouds  of  smoke  rolled  along  them. 

"  On  !  on !  "  was  the  cry. 

Dick  Lizard  happily  knew  the  way  to  the  principal 
gate. 

"  I'll  tell  you,  Master  Raymond,  by  and  by  how  I 
came  to  know  it,"  he  remarked.  "  It's  all  of  the 
lady  who  helped  us  out." 

On  they  went.  It  was  every  thing  to  reach  the 
principal  gate  without  further  opposition.  As  Ed- 
ward had  hoped,  all  the  defenders  were  on  the 
ramparts.  No  one  had  remained  inside  the  gate, 
which  from  its  strength  it  was  supposed  would  with- 
stand any  attempt  to  batter  it  down.  Dick  was  not 
mistaken.  The  thundering  of  the  battering-ram 
guided  them  also  to  the  spot.  Passing  under  a 
broad  archway,  they  found  themselves  just  within  the 
great  gate.  The  din  of  the  battle  outside  had  pre- 
vented their  approach  being  heard,  while  every  one 
was  too  busy  to  observe  them.  Bars  and  bolts  innu- 
merable guarded  the  gate.  These  Edward  and  his 
followers  began  to  withdraw,  but  they  were  so  huge 
and  rusty  that  it  was  with  difficulty  they  could  be 


176  ANTON  T  WAYjpOUTH ;  Oil, 

removed.  While  the  seamen  were  still  laboring 
away,  Raymond,  turning  his  head,  saw  at  the  far- 
ther end  of  the  passage  a  number  of  men  approach- 
ing. At  their  head  he  recognized  Don  Lobo  him- 
self. With  cries  of  vengeance,  the  governor  led  on 
his  men.  The  blood  of  the  Lusitanian  was  up,  and, 
cruel  tyrant  and  extortioner  as  he  had  been,  when 
he  found  himself  pushed  to  extremities,  and  his  ene- 
mies already  within  his  stronghold,  he  resolved  to 
drive  them  out  or  die  as  became  him  in  its  defence. 
As  the  governor  approached,  Edward  and  part  of 
his  company  faced  about  to  encounter  him,  while 
Dick  Lizard  and  the  rest  plied  crowbars  and  ham- 
mers in  beating  back  the  huge  bolts  which  secured 
the  gate.  The  battering-ram  was  all  the  time  thun- 
dering away  outside.  The  object  of  Don  Lobo  was 
to  destroy  the  daring  band  of  Englishmen  who  had 
got  inside,  and  to  replace  the  bolts  before  the  ram 
had  forced  the  gate.  Nobly  Edward  and  his  little 
party  kept  their  numerous  foes,  hard  pressing  on 
them,  at  bay.  Don  Lobo  himself  rushed  forward  at 
length  in  desperation,  and  his  blade  crossed  that  of 
Edward. 

"  Ha,  ha  !  I  hate  you,  and  you  know  the  reason, 
vile  Englishman!"  he  exclaimed,  as  he  made  a 
lunge  at  his  opponent's  breast. 

Edward  turned  the  weapon  aside,  and  that  in- 
stant Dick  shouted  — 

"  Stand  from  under,  lads  !  stand  from  under  !  " 

For  the  huge  gate  was  cracking  in  every  part, 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  177 

and  with  a  loud  crash  down  it  came,  crushing  one 
poor  fellow,  the  rest  with  difficulty  escaping.  Don 
Lobo  heard  the  shout  and  the  crash.  His  eye  was 
for  an  instant  withdrawn  from  his  sword's  point  to 
look  at  the  falling  gate.  That  instant  was  fatal 
to  him,  and  Edward's  weapon  entering  his  bosom, 
he  fell- backwards  to  the  ground,  while  his  own 
sword  fell  useless  from  his  grasp.  As  the  gate  gave 
way,  the  fierce  and  eager  countenances  of  the  English 
seamen  were  seen  in  the  entrance,  led  on  by  Way- 
mouth. 

"  St.  George  and  merry  England !  "  they  shouted. 
"  Down  with  the  Portugals  !     Hurrah  !  hurrah ! " 

"An'  you  cry  '  Down  with  the  Portugals  ! '  just 
be  sure  if  there  are  Portugals  to  put  down,"  cried 
Dick.  "  The  mouse  has  got  into  the  cheese  before 
you,  mates  ;  but  there  is  no  lack  of  mites  yet  to  eat. 
On  — on,  lads!" 

Dick  narrowly  escaped  a  clout  on  the  head  by 
his  facetiousness.  Fortunately,  daylight  came  in 
through  the  open  gateway,  and  through  the  smoke 
and  dust  his  features  were  recognized  in  time.  The 
whole  party  now  rushed  forward.  Some  of  the  Por- 
tugals in  narrow,  passages  made  a  stand,  but  they 
were  forced  back  and  driven  from  chamber  to  cham- 
ber till  every  part  of  the  castle  was  in  the  hands  of 
the  English. 

"  The  miser's  gold  !  the  miser's  gold !  "  was  now 
the  cry.  "  Where  are  his  strong  boxes  ?  Bring  him 
forth,  and  make  him  tell  us!" 

12  _  .• 


178  ANTOXY  WAYMOUTH;   OB, 

Several  hurried  off  to  search  for  the  late  gov- 
ernor. Edward  might  have  told  them  of  his  fate, 
but  he,  mindful  of  poor  Don  Joao,  had  gone  to  look 
for  his  unfortunate  acquaintance,  and  to  save  him, 
if  possible,  from  insult  or  violence. 

Here  and  there  the  sound  of  strife  might  still 
be  heard  as  a  few  of  the  braver  spirits  who  had  re- 
treated, not  aware  how  entirely  the  castle  was  in 
the  power  of  the  English,  were  defending  them- 
selves in  rooms  and  galleries  from  small  parties  of 
adventurers  who  had  separated  from  the  main  body 
in  search  of  plunder. 

Edward  had  made  inquiries  both  of  Portugals 
and  English  if  they  knew  aught  of  Don  Joao.  At 
length,  led  by  the  sound  of  clashing  steel,  he  found 
his  way,  with  the  few  men  he  had  got  to  follow  him, 
into  the  circular  chamber  of  a  distant  tower.  THere 
in  a  deep  window  recess  clustered  three  or  four 
priests  holding  crucifixes  in  their  hands,  some  dark- 
skinned  women  in  their  picturesque  costume,  and 
some  native  attendants.  Before  them  stood  Don 
Joao,  with  five  or  six  Portugal  soldiers,  defending 
themselves  with  their  swords  against  the  attacks  of 
four  or  five  English  sailors,  who  were  hewing  and 
hacking  away,  not  with  much  science,  but  with  such 
furious  blows  that  they  had  already  cut  down  two 
or  more  Portugals,  and  were  now  hard  pressing  the 
old  soldier.  He  was  bleeding  from  more  than  one 
wound,  and  was  evidently  little  able  to  hold  out 
against  assailants  so  persevering.     Edward  hurried 


m  THE   GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  179 

forward,  ordering  the  Englishmen  to  desist ;  but 
they  either  would  not  or  did  not  hear  him,  and  be- 
fore he  could  interpose  his  own  weapon,  a  heavy  cut 
from  a  rapier  brought  the  old  man  to  the  ground. 

"  For  shame,  men ! "  exclaimed  Edward,  saving 
the  old  soldier  from  another  blow.  "  We  war  not 
with  gray  hairs,  with  priests  and  women.  Let  not 
another  blow  be  struck." 

The  Portugals,  finding  resistance  hopeless,  threw 
down  their  arms.  Edward  knelt  down  by  the  old 
man's  side,  and  raised  his  head.  It  was  very  evident 
that  his  last  hours  were  passing  by. 

"  My  daughter  ? "  he  asked  in  a  faint  voice. 
"  Brave  Englishman,  can  you  tell  me  any  thing  of 
my  daughter  ?  She  had  my  leave  to  aid  in  your 
escape.  I  would  have  accompanied  her  had  I  been 
able." 

EdVrard  felt  sick  at  heart  at  having  to  tell  the 
poor  father  of  his  daughter's  fate.  Yet  what  could 
he  say  ? 

"  Alas !  I  cannot  say  but  I  fear  the  worst,"  was 
his  reply. 

"  I  dreaded  to  hear  this,  but  do  not  blame  you, 
noble  Englishman..  The  last  link  which  bound  me 
to  earth  is  broken,  and  I  am  ready  to  quit  this 
world,  which  man's  folly  and  wickedness  has  made 
so  full  of  woe  and  suffering." 

These  were  almost  the  last  words  the  old  man 
spoke,  though  the  priests  came  round  and  adminis- 
tered the  rites  of  their  faith  ere  his  spirit  quitted  its 


180  ANTONY  WAYMOUTHi  OR, 

frail  teuement.  Even  the  rough  seamen,  despisers 
and  haters  of  all  papistical  ceremonies,  looked  on 
with  respect  and  awe  as  the  old  soldier's  head  sank 
on  his  breast,  and  his  hand  fell  powerless  by  his 
side. 

Waymouth  had  taken  precautions  to  secure  all 
the  entrances  to  the  castle  while  the  garrison  were 
committed  to  the  dungeons  hi  which  they  had  been 
accustomed  to  confine  the  enemies  who  had  the 
misfortune  of  falling  into  their  hands.  Those  who 
had  gone  in  search  of  Don  Lobo  soon  returned, 
bearing  on  a  litter  his  dead  body,  an  officer  holding 
up  in  triumph  a  bunch  of  keys  which  had  been 
found  in  his  pockets,  and  shouting  — 

"  The  keys  of  his  money- chests !  the  keys  of  his 
money-chests ! " 

"  The  keys  are  but  of  small  service  to  us  without 
the  chests,"  remarked  the  captain.  "  Find  the 
chests,  men,  and  we  may  make  small  accoimt  of 
the  keys." 

A  diligent  search  was  therefore  commenced  for 
the  reputed  wealth  of  the  old  governor.  It  was 
said  that  he  had  employed  thirty  years  in  collecting 
it,  and  that  he  had  purposed  shortly  returning  to 
Europe,  under  the  vain  belief  that  it  would  afford 
him  enjoyment  and  contentment.  Every  passage, 
and  corner,  and  crevice  of  the  castle  from  top  to 
bottom  was  searched,  and  not<a  sign  of  a  money-box 
could  be  discovered.  Some  declared  that  the  gov- 
ernor's wealth  was  really  fabulous  —  that  is  to  say, 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  181 

it  had  no  existence ;  while  others  affirmed  that  it 
did  exist,  and  would  somewhere  be  discovered. 
Midshipmen  generally  consider  hunting  for  rabbits 
very  good  fun,  but  hunting  for  money-chests  was 
very  much  better.  All  the  cabin-boys  of  the  Lion 
hunted  round  and  round  and  up  and  down  with 
wonderful  zeal.  The  captain  at  last  promised  that 
whoever  found  the  wealth  should  have  a  tenth  por- 
tion of  it.  This  still  further  excited  the  diligence 
of  all  hands.  Still  no  chests  were  forthcoming. 
Some,  in  revenge,  proposed  burning  down  the  castle, 
till  the  captain  announced  that  whoever  set  it  on 
fire  should  be  cast  into  the  flames.  Again  and 
again  the  search  was  renewed.  The  prisoners  were 
interrogated,  but  no  one  could  tell.  Rewards  were 
offered  without  effect.  It  was  evident  that  they  did 
not  know.  Several  said  that  Pedro  Pacheco  knew ; 
but  that  worthy  had  been  run  through  the  body  by 
a  pike,  which  had  struck  him  in  the  back  as  he  was 
making  his  escape  with  a  bag  of  gold  under  his  arm, 
which  he  refused  to  stop  and  deliver.  The  booty 
was,  after  all,  not  so  contemptible,  for  there  were 
silver  plate  in  large  quantities,  and  jewelled  orna- 
ments, and  golden  coin  ;  but,  as  it  was  not  what  was 
expected,  no  one  was  contented. 

At  last  Oliver  Marston  happened  to  strike  his 
foot  against  a  ring  in  the  corner  of  a  small  room  on 
the  ground  floor  of  the  castle.  It  served  as  the 
handle  of  a  stone  which  without  difficulty  he  lifted. 
Lights  were  brought.     A  flight  of  stone  steps  led  to 


182  ANTONY  WAYMOUTHi  OR, 

a  vault,  in  which  was  an  iron  door.  Crowbars, 
eagerly  brought,  forced  it  open,  and  there  exposed 
to  view  were  a  dozen  large  iron  chests.  The  gov- 
ernor's keys  were  applied,  the  lids  opened,  and 
exposed  to  view  ingots  of  gold  and  silver,  and  jewels 
and  coins  scarcely  to  be  counted.  Wild  were  the 
shouts  of  delight  as  chest  after  chest  was  opened, 
and  each  one  in  succession  appeared  to  contain 
more  gold  and  jewels  than  the  first.  The  chests 
were  computed  to  contain  property  of  even  greater 
value  than  what  was  already  on  board  the  Lion. 
It  was  no  easy  work  to  carry  off  the  chests,  but  it 
was  accomplished  before  the  eyelids  of  one  of  the 
victors  closed  in  sleep.  The  prisoners  were  allowed 
their  liberty,  the  castle  was  set  on  fire,  and,  while 
the  flames  were  bursting  out  on  all  sides,  the  Lion 
made  sail  with  her  rich  freight,  and  stood  away  to 
the  southward. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  183 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Away  sailed  the  Lion,  those  on  board  exulting  in 
the  rich  booty  they  had  obtained,  and  looking  ere 
many  months  had  passed  by  once  more  to  tread  the 
shores  of  Old  England  and  to  enjoy  the  wealth  they 
had  gotten  with  so  much  toil  and  danger.  Good 
Master  Walker,  the  minister,  did  his  best  to  warn 
them  not  to  trust  to  the  riches  they  had  acquired, 
that  riches  are  apt  to  take  to  themselves  wings  and 
flee  away,  and  that  it  in  no  way  follows  that  be- 
cause people  possess  wealth  they  will  have  the 
power  of  enjoying  it.  These  and  other  similar  re- 
marks were  received  by  the  officers  and  men  in 
general  with  no  good  grace,  and  Master  Walker  lost 
popularity  simply  because  no  one  could  deny  the 
truth  of  his  remarks. 

"  There  is  many  a  slip  between  the  cup  and  the 
lip,"  he  added  one  day,  most  greatly  to  the  annoy- 
ance of  his  hearers. 

The  more  conscious  people  are  that  a  thing  may  ' 
probably  come  to  pass,  the  more  angry  they  are,  if 
it  is  against  their  wish  that  it  should  happen, 
when  they  are  told  so.  Antony  Way  mouth  was  no 
despiser  of  gold  —  or  rather  the  good  things  of  life 
which  gold  procures  —  but  he  loved  his  honor  more, 


184  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

and  he  considered  it  his  duty  to  go  in  search  of  the 
commander-in-chief  and  the  rest  of  the  fleet,  if  haply 
they  might  have  reached  the  rendezvous  at  Bantam. 
Waymouth  had  full  experience  of  the*  responsibility 
of  power,  though  he  had  able  assistants  in  Raymond 
and  his  first  officer,  Carlingford.  Several  of  the 
crew  had  for  many  months"  shown  a  mutinous  dis- 
position, though  the  storms  to  which  they  had  been 
exposed,  the  fights  in  which  they  had  been  engaged, 
and  the  prospect  of  the  attack  on  the  Castle  of  San 
Pedro,  had  prevented  any  serious  outbreak.  Now, 
however,  they  loudly  expressed  their  disapproval  of 
continuing  the  search  for  Captain  Wood,  declaring 
that  he  and  his  consorts  must  long  since  have  per- 
ished, and  that  they,  having  collected  so  large  an 
amount  of  wealth,  would  be  acting  like  fools  to 
remain  out  a  day  longer  than  they  could  help. 
Round  the  mess-table  by  day  and  during  the  watches 
of  the  night  the  only  subject  of  conversation  was 
the  way  in  which  they  would  spend  their  wealth 
when  they  got  on  shore.  Their  disappointment  and 
anger  'therefore  increased  greatly  when  they  found 
that  the  time  for  their  return  might  be  indefinitely 
delayed.  Those  even  who  had  hitherto  been  obedi- 
ent began  to  express  themselves  in  a  mutinous 
manner,  and  to  hint  that  the  sooner  another  man 
was  captain  the  better  it  would  be  for  all  hands 
fore  and  aft.  This  state  of  things  was  not  unknown 
to  Waymouth  and  his  officers,  and  it  put  them  on 
their  guard ;  but  while  no  overt  act  was  committed, 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  185 

it  was  impossible  to  tako  active  stops  to  bring  about 
a  change.  As  at  first,  Peter  Hagger,  the  boatswain, 
with  his  mate  and  Dick  Soper,  a  seaman,  were  sup- 
posed to  be  the  ringleaders.  Though  narrowly 
watched,  nothing  coidd  be  proved  against  them. 
The  captain's  two  cabin-boys,  Oliver  Marston  and 
Alfred  Stanhope,  proud  of  the  approval  they  had 
before  received,  determined  to  discover,  if  possible, 
what  was  wrong.  They  had  taken  Dick  Lizard  into 
their  councils,  assured  that  he,  at  all  events,  might 
be  depended  on.  In  spite  of  all  their  wealth  and 
their  anticipations  of  the  pleasures  it  might  pro- 
cure, none  of  either  high  or  low  degree  on  board 
could  boast  of  much  enjoyment.  The  happiest 
person  was  Master  Walker.  He  was  doing  his 
duty,  and  leaving  the  consequences  in  the  hand  of 
Heaven.  The  Island  of  Java  was  once  more  sighted 
and  the  Harbor  of  Bantam  entered.  No  certain 
news  could  there  be  obtained  of  Captain  Wood. 
Several  large  ships  of  the  Hollanders  had,  however, 
visited  the  place  since  their  departure,  and  the 
people  had  done  their  best  to  spread  evil  reports  of 
the  English.  Waymouth  cared  little  for  this,  but 
he  vowed,  should  he  ever  come  across  the  Hol- 
landers, he  would  make  them  pay  for  their  slanders, 
and  those  who  knew  him  best  had  no  doubt  that  he 
would  put  his  threat  into  execution.  Still  his 
chief  desire  was  to  go  in  search  of  his  friends,  but 
even  this  could  not  be  done  without  delay,  for,  he 
having  ordered  a  survey  of  the  Lion,  the  carpenters 


18(3  ANTONY   WAYMOUTHi    OR, 

reported  that  she  must  undergo  a  thorough  repair 
before  she  would  be  fit  to  put  to  sea.  No  man 
knew  better  than  the  bold  captain  of  the  Lion  how 
to  get  into  the  good  graces  of  people  in  power,  and 
he  soon  gained  the  confidence  and  good-will  of  the 
King  of  Bantam.  At  the  same  time  he  was  too  wise 
to  put  more  confidence  in  his  majesty  than  was 
necessary;  he  therefore  carefully  kept  concealed 
from  him  the  amount  of  wealth  the  Lion  had  on 
board,  and  rather  let  him  suppose  that  he  and  his 
company  were  needy  adventurers  who  had  yet  their 
fortunes  to  make  at  the  point  of  their  swords,  at  the 
same  time  that  the  little  they  possessed  they  were 
ready  to  expend  liberally.  This  policy  answered 
so  well  that  the  repairs  of  the  Lion  were  allowed  to 
proceed  without  interruption. 

One  enemy,  however,  could  by  no  means  be  kept 
at  a  distance.  It  was  the  black  fever.  While  still 
many  necessary  repairs  were  yet  to  be  done,  it 
made  its  baneful  appearance.  Strong  men  who  had 
boldly  confronted  the  fiercest  foes  and  the  raging 
storm  turned  pale  when  they  heard  that  it  had 
already  carried  off  six  of  their  shipmates.  Froni 
that  time  not  a  day  passed  but  two  or  more  died. 
Every  one  of  the  company  labored  hard  to  get  the 
ship  ready  for  sea,  under  the  belief  that  they  should 
leave  the  fell  destroyer  behind  them.  Now  the 
qualities  of  Master  Walker,  the  chaplain,  shone 
forth  brightly,  for  while  others  shrank  back  from 
attending  on  the  plague-stricken,  he  boldly  went 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  187 

among  the  sick  and  attended  the  dying,  giving 
them  spiritual  counsel  and  consolation,  tending 
them,  and  administering  medicines  prescribed  by 
the  surgeon.  Full  thirty  of  her  brave  crew  had 
succumbed  to  the  destroyer,  before  the  Lion,  having 
been  got  ready  for  sea,  once  more  ploughed  the 
waters  of  the  ocean.  Still  the  fever  raged.  Gladly 
would  those  on  board  have  given  all  their  wealth 
to  have  escaped  with  health  from  the  plague- 
stricken  ship.  Day  after  day  more  and  more  were 
called  away.  A  small  number  only  of  those  who 
were  attacked  survived,  but  so  sick  and  weak  did 
they  remain  that  their  recovery  was  hardly  ex- 
pected. 

Waymouth  had  received  intimation  that  some 
ships,  supposed  to  be  English,  had  been  seen  farther 
to  the  eastward,  and  from  the  description  given, 
believing  them  to  be  Captain  Wood's  squadron,  he 
steered  a  course  in  that  direction.  On  sailed  the 
Lion  on  her  solitary  course.  The  Angel  o£  Death 
still  pursued  her,  continuing  to  summon  one  after 
another  of  her  crew.  Hope  of  finding  his  consorts, 
however,  allured  the  brave  captain  on  in  spite  of 
the  ravages  of  the  plague  and  the  warnings  given 
him  of  the  increasing  discontent  of  the  crew. 

"I  know  the  varlets,  and  fear  them  not,"  he 
answered.  "  I  showed  them  before  who  was  master, 
and  will  show  them  again  to  their  cost." 

Meantime,  Peter  Hagger,   the   boatswain,   had 
been  biding  his  time  and  strengthening  his  party  by 


188  AXTOXY   WAYMOUTBi   OR, 

every  device  he  could  think  of.  He  well  knew  that 
he  was  watched,  but  he  strove  to  throw  the  captain 
off  his  guard  by  a  frankness  of  manner,  an  unusual 
attention  to  his  duties,  and  the  strictness  with 
which  all  orders  were  obeyed.  He  appeared  to 
have  succeeded  so  far  as  to  make  Waymouth  believe 
that  he  had  abandoned  his  evil  designs,  and  might 
be  trusted.  In  the  fore  part  of  the  ship,  far  down 
in  her  inward  depths,  was  situated  his  principal 
storeroom.  There  the  light  of  day  had  never 
entered  since  the  huge  structure  had  been  put 
together,  nor  had  fresh  air  penetrated.  It  was 
redolent  of  pitchy  and  tarry  odors,  with  numerous 
others  of  a  far  from  fragrant  character.  A  large 
horn  lantern  huug  from  a  beam  above,  and  shed  a 
sickly  light  throughout  the  chamber.  Here,  seated 
on  chests  and  casks,  with  their  heads  bent  forward 
together  as  if  in  earnest  consultation,  were  about  a 
dozen  seamen.  Their  naturally  ill-favored  counte- 
nances were  not  improved  by  long  exposure  to  the 
burning  sun  of  the  tropics.  The  presiding  spirit 
among  them  was  evidently  Peter  Hagger,  the  boat- 
swain. 

"  Are  we  all  agreed,  mates  ?  "  he  asked  in  lus 
usual  gruff  voice. 

"  All,"  said  several.  "  Provided  we  take  no 
lives,"  added  others.  "  The  fever  has  been  doing 
enough  of  that  work  lately  among  us." 

"  Dead  men  tell  no  tales,"  observed  Hagger. 

"  If  we  secure  the  gold  we  need  fear  neither  dead 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  189 

nor  living  men,"  observed  one  of  the  men,  who, 
from  the  tone  of  his  voice,  was  evidently  of  superior 
education  to  the  rest.  "  If  they  were  ever  to  Come 
back  without  a  stiver  in  their  pockets,  who  would 
take  their  word  against  ours,  when  we  are  rolling 
in  wealth?" 

"  But  if  we  don't  heave  them  overboard  or  run 
them  up  to  the  yard-arm,  what  are  we  to  do  with 
them  ?  "  was  a  question  put  by  another  speaker. 

"  Why,  land  them  on  a  desolate  island,  or  sell 
them  to  some  of  these  Easterns,  or  put  them  on 
board  a  prize  with  provisions  to  take  them  to  the 
nearest  shore,  that  would  be  giving  them  a  fair 
chance  of  escape,  and  no  one  need  complain,"  was 
the  remark  of  a  mutineer  who  had  sided  with 
Hagger. 

"  That  will  do,"  observed  the  boatswain.  "  And 
now,  mates,  the  sooner  we  set  about  this  work  the 
better.  To  my  mind  there's  no  time  like  the  present. 
Every  day  we  are  going  farther  and  farther  to  the 
eastward,  and  every  day  getting  more  and  more  out 
of  our  reckoning.  Now  d'ye  see  ?  All  we've  to  do 
is  to  sail  west,  and  when  we  get  into  the  longitude 
of  Bon  Esperanza  Cape,  steer  north,  and  we'll  find 
our  way  back  to  Old  England,  never  fear." 

"  Ay,  ay !  with  you  as  captain,  Master  Hagger," 
exclaimed  several  mutineers,  "  we  shall  go  straight 
forward,  not  be  running  here  and  there,  looking 
into  this  port  and  that  port,  and  all  to  no  purpose, 
to  look  for  people  who  have  long  since  gone  to  Davy 


190  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH ;   OR, 

Jones's  locker.     Peter  Hagger  for  captain  !     He's 
the  man  we  want." 

Peter  Hagger  bent  forward,  for  the  height  of  the 
cabin  did  not  allow  him  to  stand  upright. 

"  Mates,  I  take  your  terms,"  he  said  in  a  low 
voice.  "  I've  no  wish  to  injure  any  man,  least  of 
all  Master  Waymouth,  who  has  good  qualities,  I'll 
allow  ;  but  we  must  have  our  rights,  and  if  he  has 
lost  his  wits  —  as  there's  no  doubt  he  has — it  is 
seemly  that  some  better  man  should  take  his  place, 
and  as  you  choose  me,  mates,  why,  I'm  not  the  man 
to  gainsay  you." 

"  All  right,  Captain  Hagger ;  all  right,"  said 
several  of  the  men.  "  But  what  is  it  you  would 
have  us  do  ?  " 

"  That's  what  I  was  coming  to,"  answered 
Hagger,  still  more  lowering  his  voice  till  it  was 
only  audible  to  those  who  put  their  ears  close  to 
his  mouth. 

The  men  talked  long  and  earnestly  together,  till 
all  their  plans  seemed  matured.  Not  only  were 
their  plans  matured,  but  they  appeared  confident  of 
success.  One  by  one  they  stole  off  from  their  place 
of  meeting.  They  had  no  fear  of  having  been 
overheard,  for,  suspecting  that  such  had  before  been 
the  case,  they  had  now  placed  sentries  to  give  notice 
of  the  approach  of  any  one  they  might  suspect. 
Separating,  they  went  to  their  hammocks,  and,  what 
may  seem  strange,  all  except  the  arch-mutineer 
slept  as  soundly  as  if  their  consciences  were  free 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  191 

from  blame.  He  could  not  rest ;  for  though  he  be- 
lieved that  he  was  on  the  point  of  obtaining  the  object 
of  his  desires — the  larger  portion  of  the  store  of 
wealth  contained  in  the  Lion  —  jet  all  the  time 
he  was  conscious  that  he  had  not  the  ability  to 
retain  command  over  the  lawless  band  who  had 
selected  him  as  their  leader,  nor  the  knowledge 
necessary  to  navigate  the  ship  to  an  English  port. 
Still  he  was  determined  to  persevere  in  his  mad 
course.  He  trusted  to  chance  for  the  future.  The 
wealth  he  was  resolved  to  have  at  all  risks.  The 
following  night  had  been  fixed  on  for  the  outbreak. 

It  was  the  middle  watch.  The  weather  even  for 
those  latitudes  was  hot  and  close.  Many  of  the 
officers  found  their  cabins  too  warm  to  allow  them 
to  sleep,  and  had  come  on  deck  to  endeavor  to 
obtain  rest.  Some  had  thrown  themselves  down  in 
spots  where  they  were  unobserved,  and  had  gone  to 
sleep.  Miles  Carlingford  had  charge  of  the  watch, 
with  the  two  young  cabin-boys,  Stanhope  and  Mars- 
ton,  under  him.  The  captain,  accompanied  by 
Edward  Raymond,  after  a  time  came  also  on  deck. 
Waymouth  cast  his  eyes  round  the  horizon  several 
times  as  he  slowly  paced  up  and  down  with  Ray- 
mond. 

"I  like  not  the  look  of  the  midnight  sky,"  he 
observed  to  Carlingford  ;  "  I  have  known  black 
storms,  with  fury  so  terrible  that  scarcely  the  stoutest 
ships  could  withstand  them,  spring  out  of  such.  We 
must  be  on  the  watch.     With  our  weakened  crew 


192  AXTQyY  WAYMOUTH;  or, 

we  cannot  shorten  sail  as  we  were  wont  to  do,  and 
yet  I  would  not  rouse  up  the  men  unnecessarily." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,  I'll  not  let  my  eyes  wink,"  answered 
Carlingford ;  "  but  I  hope  the  weather  may  clear 
without  the  storm.  Still,  there  is  no  telling  in  these 
latitudes  what  may  happen.  I  would  we  were  out 
of  them." 

"  So  do  I,  Master  Carlingford,  believe  me,  most 
heartily,"  answered  the  captain.  "  I  promise  you, 
tcfb,  that  if  in  two  days  we  do  not  discover  the 
admiral  we  will  shape  a  course  far  the  Cape  of  Bon 
Esperanza  ;  after  recruiting  ourselves  there  we  will 
lose  no  time  in  sailing  for  Old  England." 

"  It  will  bo  a  happy  time  indeed,  sir,  when  we 
again  see  the  white  cliffs  of  our  native  land," 
remarked  Raymond,  anxious  to  keep  his  chief  up 
to  his  intentions.  "  I  would  that  the  crew  were 
made  acquainted  with  your  intentions ;  it  would 
tranquillize  their  minds,  and  banish  the  discontent 
in  which  they  now  indulge." 

"  They  will  know  in  good  time,"  answered  Way- 
mouth,  somewhat  angrily.  "  It  does  not  do  to  yield 
to  their  fancies,  or  they  will  become  masters  over 
those  they  are  bound  to  obey." 

Scarcely  had  he  spoken  when  from  each  of  the 
hatchways,  which  had  been  left  open  on  account  of 
the  heat,  numerous  dark  forms  sprang  up,  though 
so  silently  that  neither  did  he  nor  the  other  officers 
who  were  looking  seaward  hear  or  observe  them. 
Like  tigers  on  their  prey  the  men  threw  themselves 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  193 

on  the  knot  of  officers,  who  were  instantly  brought 
violently  to  the  deck,  and  pinioned  before  they  had 
time  to  cry  out.  In  vain  they  struggled  ;  they  were 
dragged  to  the  guns,  to  one  of  which  Waymouth, 
Carlingford,  Raymond,  and  the  two  cabin-boys  were 
securely  lashed  almost  before  the  rest  of  the  officers 
on  deck  had  sprung  to  their  feet,  aroused  by  the 
cries  they  made.  None  had  arms ;  and  the  rest  of 
the  mutineers,  rushing  aft,  grappled  with  them, 
threatening  vengeance  if  they  resisted.  Surprised 
and  bewildered  by  the  suddenness  of  the  attack, 
scarcely  aware  by  whom  it  was  made,  they  were 
easily  knocked  down  and  secured. 

The  Welsh  surgeon,  Ap  Reece,  was  below,  sleep- 
ing soundly  in  spite  of  the  heat  and  the  noise,  fa- 
tigued with  his  attendance  on  the  sick,  who  were 
still  numerous.  The  shouts  and  cries  of  his  strug- 
gling brother  officers  awoke  him,  and,  seizing  a 
rapier  and  a  brace  of  pistols,  which  he  stuck  in 
his  belt,  he  was  about  to  spring  on  deck  to  their 
assistance,  when  it  occurred  to  him  that  it  would 
be  wiser  to  ascertain  exactly  what  was  occurring. 
The  words  which  reached  his  ears  —  "  Mutiny  ! 
mutiny  !  Help !  help !  Loyal  men  to  the  rescue  !  " 
—  showed  him  clearly  the  state  of  the  case. 

"  The  scoundrels  will  be  waiting  to  knock  all  who 
are  below  on  the  head  as  they  come  up,"  he  thought 
to  himself;  "  but  I  will  disappoint  them." 

Thereon  he  began   to   make  his   way  forward, 

where  he  was  sure  of  finding  some  of  the  men  ready 
la 


194  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;   OJi, 

to  side  with  him.  There  was  a  passage  from  one 
end  of  the  ship  to  the  other,  and  at  the  division 
between  the  officers'  quarters  and  the  fore-part  a 
sentry  was  usually  placed,  but  sickness  had  so 
diminished  the  numbers  of  the  crew  that  there  were 
not  enough  men  to  perform  any  but  the  most  neces- 
sary duties.  Ap  Reece  groped  his  way  on  in  dark- 
ness. He  heard  some  men  haHooing  out,  but  it 
was  evident  that  they  were  bound,  and  could  render 
him  no  assistance  till  they  were  released.  On  a 
sudden  a  hand  grasped  his  arm. 

"  Who  is  this  ?  "  said  a  voice  which  he  recognized 
as  that  of  honest  Dick  Lizard. 

"  A  friend  to  all  hands,"  answered  the  surgeon. 
"  I  hope  that  you  have  not  turned  mutineer,  Dick." 

"  No,  indeed,  I  should  hope  not,  sir,"  replied 
Dick  indignantly  ;  "  I  have  a  guess" of  what's  going 
on.  What  can  we  do  to  help  the  officers  ?  All  the 
true  men  are  bound  hand  and  foot,  and  I'm  the 
only  one  who  managed  to  slip  away." 

"  We  won't  despair,  Dick  ;  are  you  armed  ?  " 
asked  the  surgeon. 

"  I've  a  hanger,  sir,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Come  here  and  I'll  give  you  some  pistols,"  said 
Ap  Reece.  "  Now  we'll  first  loose  all  the  true  men, 
and  then  make  a  rush  together  and  release  the  cap- 
tain, if  we  can  find  him.  With  a  sword  in  his 
hand  he'll  soon  give  good  account  of  the  mutineers 
and  bring  them  to  terms." 

The  surgeon,  stepping  back,  armed  Dick  as  he 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  195 

had  promised,  and  together  they  found  their  way 
without  interruption  to  the  fore-hatch.  As  they  got 
their  heads  up  to  the  coamings  they  perceived  that 
the  scuffling  had  ceased,  though  the  voices  of  a  few 
of  the  officers  were  heard  upbraiding  the  men  for 
their  treachery. 

"  My  friends,  I  beseech  you  to  be  silent.  Let  me 
speak  to  these  misguided  men,"  said  a  voice  which 
they  recognized  to  be  that  of  Master  Walker,  the 
minister.  "  Mutineers  !  —  for  such  you  are  —  you 
are  triumphing  now  in  the  success  of  your  scheme, 
and  the  fancied  possession  of  all  the  wealth  this 
ship  contains;  but  first  let  me  ask  you  what  does  it 
advantage  you  now  ?  Nothing.  What  can  it  ever 
advantage  you  ?  You  can  never  enjoy  it ;  for  be 
assured  that  the  vengeance  of  Heaven  will  overtake 
you  sooner  or  later  ;  even  now,  wretched  men,  it  is 
preparing  for  you." 

"  Cease,  cease,  Master  Walker,"  exclaimed  Hag- 
ger,  stepping  up  to  the  minister.  "  We  wish  you  no 
ill ;  necessity  makes  us  act  as  we  do.  We  want  to 
injure  no  one,  but  we  won't  stand  opposition,  and 
I  for  one  cannot  be  answerable  for  the  conse- 
quences." 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  this  threat  was  accom- 
panied by  numerous  oaths  which  need  not  be  re- 
peated ;  in  truth,  Peter  Hagger  never  spoke  with- 
out interlarding  his  remarks  with  expressions  of 
that  description. 

Ap  Reece  guessed  correctly  that  the  appeal  of 


198  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH ;  Off. 

Master  Walker  would  have  no  present  beneficial 
effect,  and  therefore  he  and  Lizard  slipped  down 
below  again  and  made  their  way  to  the  cabins  of 
some  of  the  inferior  officers  whom  the  latter  believed' 
had  not  joined  in  the  mutiny.  Two  of  them,  the 
gunner  and  carpenter,  were  found  lashed  in  their 
berths,  not  having  the  slightest  conception  of  what 
had  occurred,  and  believing  that  they  were  the  only 
sufferers.  A  few  brief  words  explained  matters  to 
them.  Three  other  men  who  had  positively  refused 
to  join  the  mutiny  were  found  lashed  in  different 
parts  of  the  ship.  They  were  releasd,  hangers  were 
placed  in  their  hands,  and,  together,  led  by  Ap 
Recce,  they  sprang  on  deck  and  rushed  aft  to  where 
the  officers  lay  bound,  their  principal  object  being 
to  release  Captain  Waymouth  and  then  to  attack 
the  mutineers. 

As  they  were  on  their  way,  a  shout  and  a  loud 
oath  from  Hagger,  who  saw  them  coming,  called  the 
attention  of  his  followers,  the  boatswain  throwing 
himself  before  the  captain  at  the  moment  Ap  Reece 
was  about  with  his  hanger  to  sever  the  lashings 
which  bound  him.  The  surgeon  was  therefore  com- 
pelled to  use  his  weapon  to  defend  his  own  life,  for 
the  boatswain,  seeing  what  he  was  about,  attacked 
him  with  the  greatest  fury,  and  a  desperate  com- 
bat ensued.  Lizard  and  the  other  men,  foiled  in 
their  attempt  to  release  some  of  the  officers,  were 
fighting  for  their  lives.  Dick  and  his  party  were, 
however,  able  to  keep  their  immediate  opponents  at 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  197 

bay,  the  chief  interest  centring  between  Ap  Reece 
and  the  boatswain.  HaggerVas  a  huge,  powerful 
man,  with  a  round  bullet-head  covered  by  black 
shaggy  hair,  and  a  face  of  the  bull-dog  type.  Ap 
Reece,  on  the  contrary,  was  a  slight  active  man, 
but  he  made  up  by  activity  what  he  wanted  in 
strength.  He,  too,  had  science,  which  the  boat-J 
swain  had  not,  and  altogether  the  combatants  were 
not  unevenly  matched.  The  great  strength  of  the 
boatswain  gave  him,  however,  somewhat  the  advan- 
tage, as  he  wisely  only  stood  on  the  defensive,  al- 
lowing "the  surgeon  to  exhaust  his  powers.  Ap 
Reece  sprang  round  and  round  him  —  now  he  re- 
treated, now  he  advanced,  but  to  no  purpose  — 
Hagger  was  not  to  be  betrayed  into  abandoning  his 
tactics.  He  waited  his  opportunity.  It  came. 
The  surgeon's  foot  slipped,  and  unable  to  recover 
himself,  his  knees  came  with  great  force  on  the 
deck.  At  that  instant  a  flash  of  lightning  darting 
from  the  clouds  revealed  the  combatants  to  each* 
other. 

"Hagger,  I  saved  your  life  once  when  all  hope 
seemed  gone,"  exclaimed  Ap  Reece,  as  the  muti- 
neer's weapon  was  about  to  descend  on  his  head. 
"  I  don't  ask  for  my  life  from  you  or  such  a  one  as 
you.  Strike,  and  add  a  gross  act  of  folly  to  your 
crimes  and  madness.  But  the  fever  has  not  left 
the  ship  yet ;  and  the  time  will  come  ere  long 
when  you  and  your  comrades  in  your  night's  work 
will  want  my  aid,  and  will  be  ready  to  give  for  it 


198  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH ;  OR, 

all  the  gold  you  have  got  in  your  possession.  Strike, 
I  say."  * 

The  boatswain's  hanger  was  again  lifted  as  if 
to  strike,  when  one  of  his  own  party  sprang  for- 
ward. 

"  Hold,  hold,  Master  Hagger,"  he  cried  out,  in- 
terposing his  own  weapon.  "  Our  surgeon  speaks 
the  truth.  We,  any  one  of  us,  may  want  doctoring 
ere  an  hour  be  over,  and  who's  to  doctor  us  an'  we 
trust  to  Tim  Rosemerry,  who  swears  he  knows  the 
whole  art,  from  having  served  an  apprenticeship  for 
six  months  to  a  foreign  leech  in  the  city  of  West- 
minster ?  I  put  it,  mates,  are  we  to  have  a  doctor 
who  knows  nothing,  or  a  friend  who  has  set  many 
of  us  on  his  legs  when  we  thought  that  we  were 
never  to  walk  again  ?  " 

"  Let  the  doctor  live!  let  the  doctor  live!  "  ex- 
claimed all  the  men,  surrounding  the  boatswain, 
who  dropped  the  point  of  his  weapon. 

"  Thanks,  friends.  I  accept  my  life,  for  I  have 
no  wish  to  lose  it,"  said  Ap  Reece,  rising  to  his  feet. 
"  The  sick  I  will  doctor  as  before ;  but  remember, 
I  will  sanction  no  act  of  violence  or  cruelty  while 
I  remain  with  you." 

"  Oh,  we  are  all  honorable  men  here,"  cried 
several  of  the  men  in  a  derisive  tone,  to  which  re- 
mark the  surgeon  thought  it  imprudent  to  reply. 

While  this  scene  was  acting,  Dick  Lizard  and  his 
companions  were  exchanging  blows  with  the  rest  of 
the  mutineers ;  but  Overwhelmed  by  numbers,  two 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  199 

were  killed,  and  Dick  and  another  were  brought  to 
the  deck  badly  wounded.  Dick  had  been  a  general 
favorite ;  and  although  the  mutineers  were  exas- 
perated with  him  for  the  attack  he  had  made 
on  them,  and  for  the  unmeasured  abuse  he  now 
heaped  on  their  heads,  they  agreed  he  was  too  good 
a  fellow  to  be  put  out  of  the  way,  and  that  if  he 
would  keep  a  civil  tongue  in  his  head,  he  should 
live.  This  was  a  somewhat  difficult  task  for  honest 
Dick,  though,  when  his  life  was  offered,  like  a  wise 
man  he  accepted  it  without  thinking  it  necessary  to 
make  any  stipulations. 

The  mutineers  had  now  decidedly  gained  the 
day  ;  the  officers  were  forced  at  the  sword's  point  to 
go  below,  and  each  was  confined  in  his  own  cabin. 
The  threatening  state  of  the  weather  made  Hagger 
anxious  to  arrange  matters.  There  was  no  wind, 
but  an  ominous  swell  had  got  up  which  made  the 
ship  roll  heavily,  and  loud  claps  of  thunder  rattled 
through  the  sky,  while  vivid  flashes  of  forked 
lightning  darted  from  the  clouds,  hissing  like  fiery 
serpents  along  the  surface  of  the  ocean,  or  playing 
round  the  masts  and  threatening  the  Lion  with  de- 
struction. 

Way  mouth  lay  in  his  cabin,  feeling  like  a  chained 
beast  of  the  forest  eager  to  be  loose,  indignant  at  the 
treachery  practised  on  him,  and  feeling  also  the 
probability  that  the  ignorant  men  who  had  been 
guilty  of  this  act  of  atrocity  would  wreck  the  ship, 
and   involve    both    themselves    and    him   and  his 


200  AN  WAY  WAYMOUTHi  OJi, 

officers  iii  a  common  destruction.  He  knew  that 
they  were  totally  unaware  of  the  intricacies  of  the 
navigation  through  which  the  Lion  had  got  so  far  to 
the  eastward,  and  that  it  would  be  impossible  for 
them  unaided  to  retrace  their  course.  He  had  per- 
haps a  grim  satisfaction  in  contemplating  this, 
though  all  his  own  prospects  of  wealth  would  vanish, 
and  life  itself  be  lost.  At  length,  however,  the  very 
intensity  of  his  feelings  overcame  him,  and  he  fell 
asleep.  His  sleep  was  far  from  refreshing,  and  his 
dreams  were  strangely  troubled.  Yet  on  he  slept 
for  some  time,  he  believed.  Whenever  he  felt  him- 
self waking,  he  forced  himself  to  doze  off  again 
rather  than  awake  to  the  disagreeable  realities  of 
his  position.  At  length,  however,  the  violent  roll- 
ing and  pitching  of  the  ship  roused  him  completely 
up.  The  roar  of  the  sea,  the  howling  of  the  wind, 
the  dashing  of  the  waves  on  the  side  of  the  ship, 
the  rattling  of  blocks  and  ropes,  and  the  tramp  and 
shouts  of  men  overhead,  convinced  him  that  the 
long-expected  strife  of  the  elements  had  begun. 
The  rolling  and  pitching  and  jerking  of  the  ship 
became  more  and  more  violent,  the  washing  of  the 
water  up  the  sides  and  over  the  deck  showed  him 
that  the  sea  was  running  high,  and  the  way  in 
which  the  ship  occasionally  heeled  over  showed  him 
that  the  gale  was  blowing  furiously.  The  sounds 
which  reached  him  from  the  deck  told  him  also  that 
efforts  were  being  made  to  shorten  sail. 

"  The  mutinous  varlets !     Now  is  the  occasion  to 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  201 

prove  their  seamanship,  if  they  have  any,"  he  mut- 
tered to  himself.  "  What  the  idiots  will  do  it  is 
hard  to  say,  except  let  the  good  ship  drive  on  the 
rocks.  What  are  they  about  now  ?  There's  not 
one  of  them  can  stow  the  mainsail  properly  but  Hag- 
gcr  in  a  gale  like  this.  They'll  capsize  the  stout 
ship,  or  send  the  masts  over  the  sides — the  idiots !  " 

Thus  he  spoke,  or  rather  thought,  for  some  time. 
The  ship  plunged  on  through  the  mountainous  seas, 
her  timbers  creaking  and  groaning  as  if  they  were 
about  to  be  torn  asunder.  The  cabin  was  in  ob- 
scurity, for  all  the  hatches  were  battened  down,  and 
not  without  good  reason,  for  the  foaming  seas  often 
broke  so  completely  over  the  ship  that  without  this 
precaution  she  might  have  filled  and  gone  bodily 
down.  Waymouth  believed  that  the  day  was  ad- 
vancing from  the  sensations  of  hunger  which  he  was 
beginning  to  experience.  In  vain  he  tried  to  release 
himself  from  the  ropes  which  bound  him.  The 
more  he  struggled  the  tighter  they  became.  Nor 
could  he  manage  to  get  his  mouth  down  to  any  part 
of  the  rope,  or  he  would  have  tried  to  gnaw  it 
asunder  with  his  teeth.  He  shouted  over  and  over 
again  to  his  friends  in  captivity ;  but  though  the 
sound  of  his  voice  reached  them,  he  could  not,  from 
the  noises  in  the  interior  of  the  ship,  make  out  what 
they  said  in  return.  They  were  evidently  as  se- 
curely bound  as  he  was,  and  also  confined  in  their 
cabins. 

"  Patience  is  a  virtue,  I  doubt  not,  but  it  is  sore 


202  ANTONY  WAY  MOUTH;  OB, 

difficult  to  exercise  it  just  now,"  he  said  to  himself, 
with  a  mocking  laugh. 

Suddenly  the  ship  heeled  over  more  than  ever  — 
there  was  a  loud  crash  —  the  sea  seemed  with  fierce 
roars  to  be  washing  over  her  —  shrieks  and  cries  of 
distress  reached  his  ears  even  where  he  lay.  Again 
she  righted,  and  seemed  to  go  tearing  on  through 
the  ocean  as  before. 

"  One  or  more  of  our  masts  have  gone,"  muttered 
Waymouth.  "  Well,  let  them  go  ;  it  is  but  the  be- 
ginning of  the  end.  The  sooner  those  scoundrels 
find  out  their  folly  the  better.  Had  we  shortened 
sail  as  I  was  about  to  do,  this  disaster  would  have 
been  avoided." 

On,  on  went  the  ship,  plunging  down,  again  to  be 
lifted  up,  truly  reeling  to  and  fro  like  a  drunken 
man.  Once  more  she  was  pressed  down ;  another 
fearful  crash  followed,  and  there  were  piercing 
shrieks  and  cries.  Waymouth  believed  fully  that 
the  ship  was  foundering ;  but  no,  she  rose  again, 
and  rushed  on  still  more  unsteadily  than  before. 
On,  on  she  went.  Time  was  pressing.  A  hatch 
was  removed  for  an  instant,  and  a  gleam  of  light 
penetrated  into  the  cabin.  Again  it  was  obscured, 
and  a  lantern  was  lighted ;  three  or  four  men  de- 
scended. Waymouth  heard  them  go  to  his  lieuten- 
ant's cabin;  They  were  offering  him  the  command, 
if  he  would  help  them  out  of  their  difficulties.  An 
indignant  refusal  was  the  reply. 

"  Scoundrels  that  you  are,  you  may  all  sink  with 


THE   GESTLEMES ADVENTURERS.  203 

us  before  I'll  take  charge  of  the  ship  while  the 
rightful  commander  remains  alive,"  said  Caiiingford. 

They  then  applied  to  Raymond,  who  was  known 
to  be  a  good  navigator.  His  reply  was  of  the  same 
nature.  None  of  the  temptations  the  mutineers 
could  hold  out  would  induce  an  officer  of  any  rank 
acquainted  with  navigation  to  take  command.  A 
consultation  was  then  held,  and  after  some  time  the 
mutineers  approached  the  cabin  where  Waymouth 
lay.  The  light  of  a  lantern  flashed  on  his  eyes,  and, 
the  door  opening,  Hagger,  Soper,  and  other  mu- 
tineers stood  before  him. 

"  What  is  your  pleasure  with  me,  knaves  ?  "  he 
asked  in  a  haughty,  undaunted  tone. 

"  An'  please  your  honor,  the  ship  is  driving  we 
know  not  where,  and  is  like  to  strike  on  some  strange 
rock  or  island,  if  she  go  not  down  first,"  said  Hagger, 
holding  his  hat  in  his  hand. 

"  Maybe :  it  is  what  I  expected,"  answered  Way- 
mouth  calmly.  "  When  fools  take  the  helm,  they 
are  certain  to  steer  to  destruction." 

"An'  please  your  honor,  we  wish  to  know  whether 
you  will  please  to  take  charge  of  the  ship,  and  save 
her  and  all  on  board,"  said  Soper  humbly. 

"Likely  enough  —  to  have  my  throat  cut,  and 
the  throats  of  the  gentlemen  with. me,  by  you  muti- 
nous varlets,  when  you  find  the  ship  in  safety," 
answered  Waymouth.  "  No,  knaves ;  you  have 
brought  yourselves  into  this  strait,  and  you  may 
get  out  of  it  as  best  you  may." 


204  >  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH  i  OR, 

"If  your  honor  will  take  command  and  save  the 
ship,  and  overlook  our  conduct,  we  will  be  obedient 
in  future,"  said  Soper,  who  acted  as  spokesman. 

"  Seize  that  man,  then,  and  put  him  in  irons  first," 
answered  Waymouth,  casting  his  glance  on  Hagger, 
who  clapped  his  hand  on  his  hanger,  as  if  about  to 
defend  himself,  but  the  rest  threw  themselves  on 
him,  and  bore  him  in  spite  of  his  great  strength  to 
the  deck. 

"  Now  haste  and  release  my  officers,  and  beg 
them  to  come  here,"  continued  Waymouth,  address- 
ing one  of  the  men  who  was  not  required  to  hold 
the  chief  mutineer. 

Raymond,  Carlingford,  Master  Walker,  Ap  Reece, 
and  the  other  officers  quickly  made  their  appearance, 
surprised  at  the  turn  matters  had  taken.  In  their 
presence  he  made  the  mutineers  cast  off  his  fetters, 
and  ordering  Hagger  to  be  bound  and  secured  in  a 
place  of  safety,  he  exclaimed,  "  Follow  me,  gentle- 
men ! "  and  sprang  with  an  elastic  step  on  deck. 
The  scene  which  met  his  eye  was,  however,  far  from 
encouraging.  Two  of  the  masts  had  gone  by  the 
board,  and  now  hung  with  a  mass  of  rigging  and 
shattered  spars  over  the  sides.  Part  of  the  foremast 
only  was  standing,  on  which  the  foresail  was  set, 
driving  the  ship  on  furiously  through  the  water, 
while  the  seas,  foaming  up  on  either  hand,  threatened 
to  overwhelm  her,  and  sent  the  masts  and  spars 
dashing  like  battering-rams  against  the  sides  as  if 
about  to  stave  them  in.     All  the  boats  were  gone  or 


THE   GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  205 

knocked  to  pieces,  and  booms  and  caboose  —  indeed, 
the  sea  had  made  a  clean  sweep  of  every  thing  mo- 
vable on  deck.  Fearfully,  too,  was  the  number  of 
the  crew  diminished  —  not  a  dozen  mutineers  re- 
mained alive  ;  the  rest  had  been  carried  away  when 
the  masts  fell,  or  had  been  swept  off  the  decks  by  the 
raging  seas  which  had  broken  on  board.  The  officers 
and  men  who  had  remained  faithful  outnumbered 
the  mutineers.  It  appeared,  however,  that  human 
skill  and  courage  would  be  but  of  little  avail,  and 
that  the  gallant  ship  was  doomed  to  destruction. 

"The  scoundrels  have  summoned  us  too  late," 
said  Waymouth  to  Miles  Carlingford,  a  sigh,  unheard 
amid  the  howling  of  the  tempest,  for  the  first  time 
escaping  his  bosom.  "  Howbeit,  we'll  do  what  men 
can  do  to  save  the  ship.  Summon  all  hands  with 
axes  to  clear  the  wreck  of  the  masts." 

In  an  instant  every  man,  accustomed  to  the  com- 
manding voice  of  his  chief,  was  actively  employed. 
Ropes  and  broken  spars  were  quickly  severed,  and 
the  shattered  masts  and  their  heavy  rigging  were 
soon  floating  away  astern.  The  huge  foresail, 
which  had  hitherto  threatened  to  tear  the  mast  out 
of  the  ship,  was  skilfully  reefed,  and  with  some- 
what diminished  speed  the  Lion  plunged  onward 
through  the  foaming  ocean.  Still  the  rate  at  which 
she  drove  was  far  too  great  for  safety,  yet  all  had 
been  done  that  could  be  done,  and  Waymouth  and 
his  followers  resigned  themselves  like  brave  believ- 
ing men  to  the  rule  of  Him  who  rules  the  universe, 


206  A\TONY  WAYMOUTHi  OR, 

and  without  whose  will  not  a  sparrow  falls  to  the 
ground.  As  they  tore  on,  the  masts  of  a  tall  ship 
appeared  ahead.  Her  more  lofty  spars  and  masts 
were  snugly  housed,  and  with  the  little  sail  she 
carried,  evenly  balanced,  she  rode  hove  to  nearly 
head  to  wind.  On,  on  drove  the  Lion.  It  was 
feared  that  she  might  strike  the  stranger.  With 
difficulty  this  was  avoided.  People  were  seen  on 
the  stranger's  deck,  but  no  assistance  could  be  ex- 
pected from  them.  No  flag  flew  from  her  peak." 
Her  nation  could  not  be  ascertained ;  she  might  be 
a  Hollander  or  a  Portugal  —  scarcely  English,  from 
the  appearance  of  the  people  and  her  build  ;  cer- 
tainly not  one  of  Admiral  Wood's  squadron.  The 
people  on  board  waved  and  shouted,  but  their  voices 
were  unheard.  A  board  was  shown,  but  ere  what 
was  written  on  it  could  be  deciphered  the  Lion  had 
driven  a  long  way  by.  Soon  the  stranger  was  lost 
to  sight ;  no  aid  could  be  hoped  for  from  her.  On, 
on  drove  the  once  gallant  Lion,  now  a  helpless 
wreck  on  the  waste  of  waters.  Far  from  abating, 
the  fury  of  the  storm  increased.  Another  damage 
was  discovered  ;  the  wreck  of  the  mast  had  struck 
the  rudder,  and  now  a  sea  carried  it  away.  Dread- 
fully the  battered  ship  labored  through  the  foaming 
seas.  The  well  was  sounded.  Aghast,  the  car- 
penters declared  that  there  were  seven  feet  of  water 
in  the  hold. 

"  To  the  pumps  !  to  the  pumps !  "  was  the  cry. 

The  diminished  crew  began  to  labor  at  the  pumps, 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  207 

but  weakened  by  disease  they  could  hardly  gain  on 
the  water.  Buckets  were  employed,  and  those  who 
could  not  work  at  the  pumps  passed  them  from  hand 
to  hand  from  below,  but  even  thus  but  little  prog- 
ress was  made  in  freeing  the  ship.  All  hands 
must  work.  The  arch-mutineer  Hagger  was  re- 
leased from  his  shackles,  and  came  to  take  his  spell 
at  the  pumps.  Without  remonstrance  he  obeyed,, 
though  somewhat  sulkily.  The  sick  came  from 
below,  but  soon  sank  overcome  with  the  exertion. 
Others,  too,  who  had  hitherto  escaped  were  struck 
by  the  fever.  Those  whom  the  sea  had  spared  dis- 
ease now  grasped,  and  the  numbers  of  the  crew  of 
the  ill-fated  Lion  began  again  fearfully  to  diminish. 
Still  the-  gale  blew,  and  still  the  ship  drove  on.  At 
last,  the  aftnost  unknown  Pacific  was  entered. 
What  land  would  bring  them  up  no  one  could  tell. 
They  had  no  chart  to  guide  —  no  knowledge  of 
the  unmeasured  ocean  across  which  they  were  driv- 
ing. Thus  the  Lion  helplessly  pursued  her  course, 
the  sport  of  the  raging  tempest,  and  vanished,  as  it 
were,  into  obscurity. 


208  ANTONY  WAY  MOUTH  \   OR, 


CHAPTER    IX. 

We  left  Antony  Waymouth  and  his  companions 
in  misfortune  on  board  the  ill-starred  Lion,  which 
was  driving  at  furious  speed  across  the  wide  Pacific. 
For  many  days  no  observation  had  been  taken,  for 
neither  sun  nor  stars  had  been  visible.  One  com- 
pass alone  remained  uninjured,  and  that  told  them 
that  their  course  was  still  easterly,  and  some  began 
to  assert  that  they  would  meet  with  no  land  till 
they  struck  on  the  vast  continent  of  America. 
Would  their  crazy,  battered  bark  float  as  long  ? 
Would  their  provisions  and  water  hold  out  till  they 
could  reach  some  hospitable  shore  ?  No  longer  was 
the  once  docile  ship  under  control ;  the  rudder  had 
been  carried  away,  and  with  the  scant  materials  at 
their  disposal  they  could  not  construct  a  new  one, 
nor  while  the  sea  ran  so  high  could  they  attempt  to 
rig  it.  The  foresail  still  stood  and  dragged  the  ship 
forward,  nor  could  it  with  safety  be  lowered,  for 
without  it  she  might  have  broached  to,  and  all  on 
board  have  been  swept  from  the  decks.  By  con- 
tant  bailing  and  laboring  at  the  pumps  the  leaks 
could  with  difficulty  be  kept  under.  Yet  hope  in 
the  bosoms  of  Waymouth,  Raymond,  Ap  Reece, 
and  some  of  the   braver  spirits,  was  not  extinct. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  209 

The  more  ignorant  men,  however,  began  to  despair, 
and  would,  had  not  strict  watch  been  kept,  have 
broken  into  the  spirit-room  and  drunk  till  they 
became  unconscious  of  all  that  was  occurring 
around. 

The  fever  caught  at  Bantam  had  not  yet  left  the 
crew,  and  many  still  lay  struck  down  by  it  in  their 
berths,  while  one  or  more  continued  every  day  to  be 
added  to  the  list  of  victims.  Not  a  day  passed  that 
one  was  not  carried  off.  No  one  knew  who  would 
next  be  called  away.  Seldom  that  more  than  one 
died  in  the  day,  yet  that  circumstance  seemed  to 
create  greater  terror  than  had  several  died  together. 
"  Who  has  gone  to-night  ?  "  was  the  question  asked 
by  the  survivors  as  each  morning  they  met  on  deck 
after  their  troubled  rest  below.  Thus  gradually  the 
crew  diminished  in  numbers.  How  valueless  ap- 
peared the  wealth  they  had  with  so  much  toil  and 
danger  collected  !  Of  the  officers,  Waymouth,  Ray- 
mond, Carlingford,  and  Ap  Reece,  with  Master 
Walker  and  the  two  young  cabin-boys,  were  the 
only  ones  who  had  hitherto  escaped.  All  .the  rest 
whose  names  have  not  been  mentioned  in  this  chroni- 
cle had  sunk  under  the  fell  disease.  Honest  Dick 
Lizard  was  among'  the  survivors,  and  so  likewise 
were  Hagger  and  Soper,  and  several  of  the  muti- 
neers. Including  them,  of  seamen,  soldiers,  and 
idlers  or  landsmen  not  a  score  and  a  half  still  lived. 
Master  Walker  had  not  exhorted  in  vain,  and, 
abashed  and  confounded,  many  of  the  mutineers 

14 


210  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

believed  that  they  had  by  their  crime  brought  down 
the  vengeance  of  Heaven  on  their  heads. 

Still  Hagger  and  others  clung  to  the  idea  of  pos- 
sessing the  gold,  and,  hoping  that  the  ship  would 
escape  foundering,  waited  for  an  opportunity  to 
make  off  with  it,  though  not  knowing  whither  they 
could  go.  They  had  set. their  hearts  on  the  gold, 
though,  like  the  miser  gloating  over  his  hoard,  they 
did  not  recollect  how  utterly  without  value  it  would 
be  unless  it  could  be  exchangd  for  objects  they 
might  require. 

For  many  days  the  storm  had  continued  without 
abating.  "With  short  intervals  of  rest,  every  one  on 
board  had  labored  at  the  pumps,  and  the  full,  clear 
streams  which  flowed  from  the  scuppers  as  the  ship 
rolled  from  side  to  side  showed  the  quantity  of 
water  which  found  an  entrance  between  the  planks. 
Now,  as  on  she  drove  amidst  mist  and  spray,  dim 
outlines  might  be  seen  of  land,  or  seeming  land, 
often  high  as  if  composed  of  mountain-ranges,  at 
other  times  low,  like  banks  just  rising  above  the 
water.  Some,  however,  deemed  the  ibrms  but 
those  of  clouds  either  floating  high  in  the  sky  or 
resting  on  the  ocean,  and  that  could  they  have 
approached  the  spots  where  they  were  supposed  to 
be,  they  would  have  vanished  from  the  sight. 

For  several  days  no  such  appearances  were  ob- 
served ;  then,  again,  more  were  seen,  and  once 
more  the  ship  drove  on  without  a  break  in  the  circle 
of  the  horizon.     At  length  the  storm  gave  signs  of 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  211 

breaking —  the  seas  began  to  lessen  in  height,  and 
the  wind  to  howl  less  shrilly  through  the  rigging 
of  the  remaining  masts.  Almost  as  suddenly  as- it 
had  commenced,  the  tempest  ceased,  and  the  sea,  no 
longer  stirred  by  its  power,  went  rapidly  down. 

Next  day,  as  the  sun  rose  brilliantly  over  the 
waste  of  waters,  the  wind  fell  altogether.  Not  a 
ripple  broke  the  glass-like  surface  of  the  ocean  ; 
there  was  a  perfect  calm.  Slowly  at  first  the  huge 
ship  rolled  from  side  to  side,  and  then  by  degrees 
all  movement  ceased,  and  she  lay  like  a  log  on 
the  watery  waste.  No  longer  tossed  to  and  fro,  the 
planks  between  which  the  sea  had  found  an  en- 
trance closed,  and  the  pumps  gained  triumphantly 
on  the  leak.  Waymouth,  with  his  few  surviving 
officers  and  friends,  stood  on  the  deck  of  the  shat- 
tered bark ;  the  crew  lay  or  sat  grouped  about 
forward. 

It  was  evident  to  the  officers  that  no  longer  had 
they  power  to  guide  their  ship,  and  it  was  proposed 
to  build  a  boat  and  in  her  seek  some  island  where 
at  all  events  they  might  find  food  and  water,  and  no 
longer  be  the  sport  ofc  the  elements. 

Waymouth  shook  his  head. 

"  I  in  no  wise  object,  gentlemen  and  dear  friends, 
to  build  a  boat,"  he  observed.  "  By  her  means  we 
may  guide  our  ship  into  a  port ;  but  while  a  plank 
of  her  holds  together,  I,  her  captain,  can  by  no 
means  desert  her.  Others  may  do  as  they  judge 
convenient  —  I  will  not  counsel;  but  my  maxim 
has  ever  been  to  stay  by  the  ship  to  the  last." 


212  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

"  And  I,  dear  friend,  will  stay  by  you !  "  ex- 
claimed Raymond,  stepping  forward  and  grasping 
Waymouth's  hand.  "We  are  in  the  power  of 
Providence,  and  if  it  is  thought  fit  that  we  die  on 
some  foreign  strand  why  should  we  complain  ?  Or, 
if  not,  the  means  will  be  found  by  which  once  more 
we  may  visit  our  native  shores." 

"  Well  spoken  and  truly,"  said  Master  Walker. 
"  I,  too,  will  abide  with  our  brave  captain  and  share 
his  fortunes." 

"  I  never  thought  of  doing  otherwise,"  cried  Ap 
Reece,  "  for,  to  say  the  truth,  I  was  sure  that  the 
knaves  who  would  have  deserted  him  would  not  be 
worth  caring  for." 

The  two  cabin-boys  declared  that  their  only  wish 
was  to  remain  with  their  brave  captain. 

A  boat,  ho wever,  must  be  built  as  the  surest  means 
of  guiding  the  ship  into  a  harbor  or  to  an  anchorage, 
and  at  once  all  hands  set  to  work  to  accomplish  the 
object.  Planks,  and  ribs,  and  nails  enough  for  the 
purpose  were  found,  and  all  worked  most  diligently. 
There  was  no  idleness  now.  No  one  showed  greater 
zeal  than  Peter  Hagger  and*his  former  associates. 
Way  mouth,  in  the  generosity  of  his  heart,  believed 
that  he  was  desirous  of  making  amends  for  his  for- 
mer misconduct. 

The  boat  was  of  good  size,  so  that  she  might,  if 
it  was  required,  carry  all  hands,  either  should  the 
ship  be  about  to  sink,  or  be  driven  against  rocks,  or 
cast  ou  shore.     Masts  and  sails  were  fitted  to  her, 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  213 

and  long  sweeps,  at  each  of  which  two  men  might 
pull.  She  was  speedily  ready,  and  with  reasou,  for 
no  one  could  tell  at  what  moment  she  might  be 
wanted. 

"  I  hope  that  we  may  not  want  her  to  carry  us  all, 
for  it  would  be  a  brave  thing  to  take  back  the  good 
ship,  if  so  be  we  may  find  a  harbor  of  refuge  to  re- 
fit," observed  the  captain  as  he  contemplated  the 
boat  just  completed. 

The  storm  had  continued  long,  but  it  seemed  as 
if  the  calm  was  about  to  continue  for  a  still  longer 
period.  Day  after  day  the  sun  rose  and  shed  a  hot 
glare  over  the  glass-like  surface  of  the  ocean  ;  but 
there  the  storm-battered  ship  lay  like  a  deserted 
wreck,  scarcely  capable  of  holding  human  beings, 
so  forlorn  and  helpless  she  looked.  Hopeless  was 
the  attempt  to  rig  jury-masts,  for  not  a  spar 're- 
mained of  a  size  sufficient  to  bear  a  sail.  Exertions, 
however,  were  made  to  build  a  rudder,  by  which, 
when  the  breeze  returned,  the  ship  might  be  guided 
free  from  any  dangers  which  might  appear  ahead, 
or  steered  towards  a  promising  anchorage.  Mate- 
rials, however,  were  scanty,  and  little  expectation 
was  entertained  that  it  would  stand  any  rough 
usage  of  the  sea.  Death,  in  taking  away  so  many 
of  the  crew,  had  left  fewer  mouths  to  feed,  and  thus 
there  appeared  to  be  a  sufficiency  of  provisions  to 
last  for  many  months,  and  of  water  there  were 
many  casks  full. 

Strange  to  narrate,  the  fever  at  length,  in  spite 


214  ANTONY  WAYMOUTK;  OR, 

of  the  calm,  had  quitted  the  ship ;  those  who  had 
last  been  taken  ill  were  recovering,  and  the  spirits 
of  all  somewhat  revived.  They  expected  deliverance 
of  some  sort,  though  they  could  not  tell  whence 
it  might  come.  Some  had  spoken  with  seamen 
who  had  sailed  with  the  famous  Sir  Francis  Drake, 
and  they  told  of  beautiful  islands  with  lofty  hills, 
and  fountains  of  bright  waters,  and  groves  of 
cocoa-nuts,  and  many  trees  with  delicious  fruits, 
and  roots  of  various  descriptions  fit  for  food,  so 
easy  of  cultivation  that  the  happy  natives  lived  at 
ease  without  the  necessity  of  labor.  They  failed 
not,  also,  to  tell  of  other  advantages  peculiarly  at- 
tractive to*  the  taste  of  seamen.  It  is  not  surprising 
that  the  delights  offered  by  a  life  in  one  of  these 
happy  islands  became  the  constant  theme  of  conver- 
sation among  the  seamen,  till  they  began  to  per- 
suade themselves,  that,  although  their  gold  might 
be  of  little  value,  they  might  pass  their  days  with 
no  small  amount  of  contentment. 

Few  on  board  felt  their  situation  more  painfully 
than  Edward  Raymond.  For  the  sake  of  one  he 
dearly  loved  he  had  become  an  adventurer  that 
he  might  make  his  fortune.  He  had  obtained  the 
wealth  he  coveted,  and  now  it  appeared  that  he  was 
doomed  never  to  enjoy  it. 

While  the  gale  lasted  the  ship  was  driving  on- 
ward, and  might  in  reality  be  approaching  home, 
but  now  she  was  motionless,  and  it  seemed  that  thus 
she  might  remain  till  their  food  should  be  exhausted 


THE  QENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  215 

and  all  should  die,  and  the  rigging  should  rot,  and 
the  bulwarks  and  decks  decay,  and  at  length  the 
ship  herself  go  down  into  the  depths  of  the  sea. 
That  such  had  been  the  fate  of  many  a  stout  ship 
with  her  gallant  crew  there  could  be  no  doubt. 
Waymouth  fully  believing,  however,  that  some 
island  would  be  reached  ere  long  where  provisions 
and  water  could  be  obtained,  had  in  no  way  stinted 
the  crew  of  their  usual  allowance.  One  day,  how- 
ever, the  carpenter  desired  to  speak  with  him.  His 
countenance,  expressive  of  consternation,  showed 
that  something  was  very  wrong. 

"  What  ails  it  with  thee  ? "  asked  the  captain, 
concealing  his  own  anxiety. 

"  An'  it  please  your  honor,  the  casks  which  I 
deemed  full  of  water  have  leaked  till  not  a  drop  in 
most  of  them  remains,"  was  the  appalling  answer. 
"  We  have  not  water  for  another  three  days."- 

"  Bad  news  indeed,  Master  Auger,  but,  ere  three 
days  are  over,  maybe  we  shall  reach  some  green 
island  where  there  will  be  no  lack  of  water  and 
other  things  to  refresh  the  men,"  answered  the  cap- 
tain calmly.  "  Make  not  the  news  public,  however. 
We  must  lessen  the  allowance,  and  trust  that  a 
good  Providence  will  send  us  relief." 

More  than  ever  was  a  breeze  prayed  for.  All  on 
board  were  placed  on  an  allowance  of  water  suffi- 
cient only  to  moisten  their  parched  tongues ;  yet 
even  thus,  as  the  calm  continued,  it  appeared  too 
likely  that  it  would  altogether  fail.     Gladly  would 


216  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH}  OR, 

the  hapless  crew  have  given  all  the  gold  on  board 
the  Lion  for  a  few  casks  of  the  precious  fluid.  Way- 
mouth  made  every  effort  to  keep  them  employed. 
A  great  object  was  to  ascertain  the  situation  of  the 
chief  leaks  ;  and  this  by  perseverance  he  was  ena- 
bled to  do,  as  well  as  to  stop  them.  By  making  the 
men  constantly  bathe  he  prevented  them  feeling  so 
much  as  they  might  have  done  the  want  of  fresh 
water ;  but,  in  spite  of  all  his  watchful  care,  there 
were  some  bad  hearts  among  the  crew  who  did  not 
cease  to  plot  against  him.  For  a  time,  notwithstand- 
ing all  their  trials  and  hardships,  the  bold  Gentle- 
men Adventurers  kept  up  a  gallant  appearance ; 
but  now,  at  length,  their  sufferings  began  to  tell 
upon  them,  and  their  sunken  eyes,  hollow  cheeks, 
and  haggard  looks  told  plainly  what  they  endured. 
No  longer  in  brave  attire  with  elastic  step  they  paced 
the  deck,  but  unshaven  and  with  unarranged  gar- 
ments they  leaned  against  the  bulwarks,  or  slowly 
dragged  their  feet  for  a  few  minutes  where  they 
were  wont  to  walk  so  briskly. 

With  longing  eyes  the  horizon  was  scanned  for 
the  signs  of  a  coming  breeze.  The  wind  came  at 
last  from  the  west,  and  once  more  the  ship  moved 
slowly  through  the  water.  Hope  revived.  For  two 
days  she  continued  her  course,  towing  after  her  the 
boat  which  had  been  launched  during  the  calm  in 
readiness  for  use.  Again  the  fitful  breeze  ceased, 
and  the  ship  lay  motionless  as  before.  A  slight 
breeze  came,  and  clouds   assembled,  and  showers 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  211 

fell.  The  grateful  rain  was  collected  in  sails  and 
buckets,  and  saved  by  every  means,  and  afforded 
important  relief  to  all  remaining  on  board.  So  light 
was  the  wind  that  it  scarce  moved  the  heavy  ship 
through  the  water.  Three  more  days  passed,  and 
once  again  the  ship  began  to  move.  More  and  more 
rapidly  she  glided  along  towards  the  east. 

"  America  will  be  reached  at  last,  friends,  and 
then  it  will  be  hard  if  some  Spaniard  fall  not  in  our 
way  whom  we  may  compel  to  convoy  us  back  to  Old 
England,"  observed  Waymouth  as  he  watched  the 
progress  of  the  ship  through  the  water. 

Once  more  the  hearts  of  all  on  board  revived ; 
and  well  might  they,  for  the  sea  was  calm,  the  air 
pure,  and  the  sun  shone  brightly  from  out  of  the 
blue  firmament.  Of  provisions  there  were  sufficient 
to  last  for  some  time,  and  the  water,  if  husbanded 
with  good  care,  might  hold  out  till  more  rain  should 
fall.  The  want,  however,  of  fresh  meat  and  vegeta- 
bles began  to  tell,  and  that  scourge  of  mariners,  the 
scurvy,  made  its  appearance.  More  than  ever,  there- 
fore, did  Waymouth  desire  to  meet  with  some  green 
island  where  his  crew  might  refresh.  The  pleasant 
breeze  continued,  and  wafted  the  ship  along  at  mod- 
erate speed. 

So  limited  was  the  number  of  officers  that  Way- 
mouth took  his  watch  like  the  rest.  He  had  been 
on  deck  all  the  afternoon.  Edward  Raymond  took 
the  first  night  watch.  He  walked  the  deck  thinking 
of  home.     Should  he  ever  return  there  ?     Should 


218  ANTONY   WA  Y MOUTH  ;   Ofi, 

he  ever  be  united  to  her  he  loved  ?  He  believed  in 
her  truth  and  constancy,  and  until  she  received  un- 
doubted proof  of  his  fate,  she  would  not  believe  him 
lost.  What  a  solace,  what  a  pure  delight  was  it  to 
him  to  think  of  her,  of  her  bright  love,  of  all  her 
noble  qualities !  He  pitied  his  friend,  and  wished 
that  he,  too,  had  before  he  left  England  fixed  his 
affections  on  one  worthy  of  him.  His  watch  at 
length  was  out,  and  he  was  relieved  by  Carlingford. 
The  boatswain  had  appeared  to  be  so  completely  con- 
trite that  he  had  been  allowed  to  return  to  his  duty, 
and  was  to  have  the  morning  watch. 

"Waymouth  had  slept  longer  than  usual.  He 
knew  not  how  it  was.  More  than  once  he  had  tried 
to  arouse  himself,  and  had  again  fallen  off  into 
slumber  ;  while  his  cabin-boy  had  neglected  to  call 
him  at  the  proper  hour.  At  length  he  sprang  up, 
and,  dressing  with  the  rapidity  of  a  seaman,  he 
hastened  on  deck.  He  gazed  for  a  moment  around 
with  mute  astonishment.  No  officer  stood  ready  to 
receive  him,  not  a  man  was  to  be  seen  on  deck. 
The  sails  were  lowered,  and  the  ship  lay  motionless 
like  a  log  upon  the  water.  He  looked  astern  ;  the 
boat  was  gone.  A  dreadful  suspicion  flashed  across 
his  mind  :  he  was  deserted.  Yet  could  this  be  pos- 
sible ?  Surely  no.  Raymond,  his  long-tried  friend, 
the  soul  of  honor  —  he  would  not  have  left  him ! 
Carlingford,  the  gallant  seaman  !  Master  Walker 
the  minister,  he  surely  was  no  hypocrite.  ApReece, 
though  hot-headed,  was  warm-hearted  and  true  as 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  219 

steel.  He  shouted,  again  and  again,  "  All  hands 
on  deck !  all  hands  on  deck !  Your  captain  calls ! " 
There  was  no  reply.  Was  it  fancy  ?  A  sound  came 
forward.  Before  going  there,  he  shouted  once  more 
down  the  after-hatchway.  He  had  got  down  about 
half  the  length  of  the  deck  when  Raymond's  voice 
arrested  him.  He  for  some  moments  could  with 
difficulty  comprehend  what  had  happened.  He, 
too,  had  likewise  only  just  then  awoke  from  an  unu- 
sually sound  sleep.  Together  they  hastened  forward. 
There  lay,  bound  and  gagged,  Mr.  Carlingford,  Dick 
Lizard,  and  several  of  the  crew.  They  had  all  felt 
unusually  drowsy  on  their  watch.  Suddenly  they 
had  been  set  upon  by  Hagger,  Soper,  and  the 
wretches  who  had  mutinied  and  been  pardoned, 
and,  before  they  could  offer  any  resistance,  they 
were  all  knocked  down,  prevented  from  crying  out, 
and  bound  hand  and  foot.  Several  of  the  watch 
below  were  treated  in  the  same  manner,  and  with- 
out delay  chests  of  treasure  and  provisions  had  been 
got  up  from  the  hold  and  placed  in  the  boat,  and 
the  mutineers,  leaping  into  her,  after  lowering  the 
sails,  had  quitted  the  ship.  For  some  time  after- 
wards there  had  been  a  breeze,  so  that  the  sails  in 
the  boat  must  much  have  aided  them  in  getting  to 
a  distance.  Waymouth  on  hearing  this  at  once 
suspected  the  whole  plan  of  the  treacherous  plot 
which  had  been  so  successfully  carried  out.  The 
mutineers  had  obtained  some  narcotic,  with  which 
he  and  his  officers  and  the  loyal  part  of  the  crew 


220  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

had  been  drugged,  and  thus  the  watch  on  deck  had 
been  easily  overpowered,  and  allowed  them  time  to 
load  the  boat  with  all  they  desired  and  to  make 
their  escape.  The  rest  of  the  officers  were  found 
below,  unconscious  of  what  had  happened  ;  and 
Ap  Reece,  on  awaking  and  examining  his  medi- 
cine stores,  discovered  that  certain  drugs  had  been 
abstracted  which  were  calculated  to  produce  sleep. 

"  Let  the  villains  go.  I  wish  them  no  further  evil 
than  their  own  deeds  will  assuredly  produce,"  said 
the  captain. 

"  Add,  my  brother,  th'at  they  may  be  led  to  see 
the  error  of  their  ways  and  repent,"  said  Master 
"Walker.  "  They  have  souls,  and  those  souls  are 
precious ;  never  let  us  forget  that." 

A  theft  of  far  greater  value  than  that  of  the  gold 
was  the  two  casks  of  water,  one  only,  partly  con- 
sumed, being  left. 

"  It  behooves  us  to  husband  this  with  even  greater 
care  than  before,  though  we  may  be  thankful  that 
we  have  fewer  mouths  to  consume  it,"  was  the  only 
remark  made  by  the  captain. 

Still  the  truth  must  be  said.  The  hearts  of  those 
left  could  not  but  burn  with  indignation  at  the 
treachery  of  their  late  shipmates.  It  was  soon  dis- 
covered to  be  even  greater  than  at  first  supposed ; 
for  as  soon  as  the  sails  were  again  set  and  hands 
were  sent  to  the  helm,  it  was  found  that  the  newly 
constructed  rudder  had  been  cut  adrift,  and  that 
the  ship  was  once  more  left  without  the  means  of 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  221 

being  guided  so  as  to  escape  a  threatened  danger  or 
to  enter  a  friendly  port.  Yet  there  was  faith  in  the 
hearts  of  those  brave  men  in  God's  mercy,  which 
had  preserved  them  hitherto  so  long,  not  in  their 
own  strength  and  wisdom,  which  they  had  found  so 
utterly  to  fail  them,  and  they  did  not  despair. 

Towards  evening  a  breeze  arose,  and  once  more 
they  were  wafted  onward  in  the  same  direction  as 
before.  Such  means  as  seamen  have  often  used 
were  employed  to  guide  the  ship,  by  towing  several 
boards,  weighted  at  one  end,  astern  ;  but  they  only 
served  to  keep  her  head  in  one  direction.  All  night 
long  they  sailed  calmly  on.  When  morning  broke 
there  was  a  cry,  "  Land,  land  on  the  larboard  bow  !  " 
The  sun  arose,  the  blue  sea  sparkled  brightly,  and 
a  lovely  island  appeared,  with  yellow  sand  fringed 
by  palms  and  numerous  graceful  trees  and  shrubs, 
and  picturesque  hills  covered  with  wood,  and  water- 
falls dashing  down  amid  rocks,  and  pure  streams 
flowing  towards  the  ocean,  and  blue  mountains 
rising  towards  the  sky  in  the  distance.  The  ship 
glided  on,  nearing  the  shore.  Should  she  cast  an- 
chor there  ?  A  boat  was  seen  ahead.  It  was  their 
own  boat,  carried  off  by  the  mutineers.  There  was 
a  calm  spot  between  the  rocks ;  the  boat  ran  in. 
The  ship's  course  would  carry  her  clear  of  the  land 
unless  great  efforts  were  made  to  guide  her  in. 
They  watched  with  anxiety  the  proceedings  of  those 
in  the  boat.  From  amid  the  beautiful  groves  nu- 
merous bands  of  natives  rushed  out.     Their  skins 


222  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;   OR, 

were  dark  ;  their  hair  strangely  dressed.  They  had 
bows  and  large  clubs  in  their  hands.  Those  in  the 
boat  made  signs  to  show  that  they  desired  to  be 
friendly,  but  the  dark-skinned  natives  disregarded 
them.  The  seamen  endeavored  to  shove  off,  but 
the  savages,  sending  a  thick  flight  of  arrows,  rushed 
into  the  water  and  seized  the  boat.  The  hapless 
crew  in  vain  endeavored  to  defend  themselves.  The 
savages  surrounded  them,  grappled  with  them,  tore 
them  from  the  boat  with  uplifted  clubs,  and  ere 
many  seconds  had  passed  their  brains  were  scattered 
on  the  sands.  The  remaining  crew  of  the  Lion 
gazed  with  horror  on  the  scene.  Not  one  of  their 
late  shipmates  remained  alive.  Truly  had  retribu- 
tion speedily  overtaken  them. 

Quickly,  however,  the  savages  were  seen  to  be 
launching  canoes  of  large  dimensions,  each  capable 
of  containing  three  to  five  score  of  men.  It  was 
evident  that  pursuit  was  intended.  The  Lion's 
guns  might  have  put  them  to  the  rout,  but  her 
powder  had  been  well-nigh  expended,  and  the  little 
that  remained  had  been  greatly  damaged  by  the 
water. 

Had  the  ship  been  under  proper  government, 
she  might,  it  was  supposed,  have  run  down  the 
canoes,  or,  at  all  events,  have  avoided  them,  and 
not  allowed  them  to  come  alongside  ;  but  as  H  was, 
there  appeared  great  probability  that  the  fate  of  the 
mutineers  might  be  theirs.  Still,  like  brave  men, 
they  felt  that  they  had  to  do  their  best  and  leave 


THE  GENTLEMEN  AD  VENTURERS.  223 

the  rest  to  Providence.  Thus,  with  the  little  pow- 
der they  possessed  fit  for  use,  four  of  the  after-guns 
and  a  number  of  the  small  arms  were  loaded,  and 
they  continued  their  course.  Should  any  reef  be 
in  the  way  on  which  it  should  be  their  fate  to  strike, 
they  knew  that  their  fate  must  be  sealed.  They 
could  see  the  black  savages  making  violent  and 
threatening  gesticulations  as  they  labored  at  forcing 
their  canoes  into  the  water.  Happily  the  operation 
was  a  long  one.  The  canoes  when  afloat  appeared 
even  larger  than  on  shore ;  they  were  like  two 
large  boats  united  by  one  wide  deck  or  platform, 
with  one  mast.  On  this  a  vast  sail  of  matting  was 
set,  and  over  the  water  they  glided  at  a  rapid  rate. 
The  warriors  on  board  meantime  were  brandishing 
their  weapons,  and  leaping,  and  dancing,  and  shout- 
ing. More  and  more  canoes  were  launched  till  a 
whole  fleet  was  in  pursuit  of  the  Lion,  which  glided 
on  in  silence  as  if  unconscious  of  their  presence. 
A  fair  breeze  had  been  blowing  —  it  began  to 
increase.  The  farther  the  Lion  got  from  the  land 
the  stronger  it  blew  ;  the  sea,  too,  became  rougher 
and  rougher.  The  canoes  were  closely  approach- 
ing, for  in  the  smooth  water  they  sailed  three  times 
as  fast  as  the  Lion.  Their  numbers  were  over- 
whelming. Should  they  persevere,  even  the  Lion's 
shot  would  avail  nothing  against  them.  Waymouth 
ordered  that  not  a  gun  should  be  fired  till  he  should 
give  the  word.  On  came  the  foe.  The  leading 
canoes  were  almost  up  to  the  Lion,  but,  jio  longer 


224  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OB, 

steady,  she  began  to  roll  and  pitch  in  the  rising  sea. 
Still  eager  for  their  prey,  the  savages  persevered. 
The  headmost  darted  alongside.  The  Lion's  guns 
were  depressed.  "  Fire,  my  brave  men !  Fire 
down  into  them !  "  cried  Waymouth,  setting  the 
example  and  bringing  down  a  savage,  who,  by  his 
appearance  and  gestures,  seemed  to  be  a  chief. 
Not  a  shot  was  thrown  away.  Some  of  the  savages 
who  were  climbing  up  the  ship's  sides  were  driven 
back,  but  others,  as  the  canoes  came  up,  succeeded 
them.  More  and  more  were  coming  on.  Just  then 
a  heavy  squall  struck  the  ship.  Like  a  restive 
steed  she  gave  a  plunge  forward,  then  rolled  from 
side  to  side,  shaking  herself  clear  of  the  canoes 
surrounding  her.  The  savages  were  driven  from 
their  hold ;  the  canoes  were  thrown  one  upon  the 
other,  and  on  sprang  the  gallant  Lion  free  from  her 
foes.  Her  after-guns  played  upon  them  for  a  few 
minutes,  but  when,  baffled  and  confused,  they 
showed  no  signs  of  pursuing,  the  English  ceased 
firing,  and  the  ship  pursued  her  course  unmolested. 
Grateful  as  they  were  for  their  preservation,  it  was 
tantalizing  to  the  crew  to  sail  away  from  that  seem- 
ingly lovely  shore  where  water  and  the  vegetables 
they  so  much  needed  might  be  procured  in  abun- 
dance. 

"  Were  it  not  for  the  light  of  gospel  truth  we 
might  be  such  as  they  are,"  observed  Master 
Walker,  pointing  at  the  island.      "  See  the  earth 


'ME   GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  225 

in  that  sweet  spot  as  God  hath  made  it,  and  see 
man  in  those  savages  as  sin  has  made  him,  and  as 
he  will  continue  till  that  blessed  light  irradiates  his 
mind  and  heart." 


15 


226  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 


CHAPTER    X. 

The  sorely- battered  Lion  pursued  her  course 
across  the  wide  Pacific.  The  island  of  tlie  black 
savages  was  soon  lost  sight  of. 

"  It  was  the  wretches'  skins  made  thein  so  fierce 
and  savage,"  observed  Dick  Lizard  to  a  messmate 
in  the  minister's  hearing. 

"  White  or  black  thou  wilt  find  it  the  same, 
Dick,"  he  remarked.  "  The  skin  is  in  no  way  to 
blame.  It  is  the  heart  of  man  which  is  by  nature 
so  desperately  wicked.  Maybe  we  shall  fall  in  with 
some  white  savages  and  find  them  no  wise  better 
than  the  black  who  have  destroyed  our  late  ship- 
mates and  from  whom  we  have  escaped." 

The  health  of  the  survivors  of  the  once-gallant 
company  of  officers  and  men  of  the  stout  ship  be- 
came worse  and  worse.  Scarcely  one  but  showed 
some  signs  of  the  dreadful  disease  which  had  at- 
tacked them.  It  appeared  too  probable  that'  the 
fears  of  those  who  predicted  that  they  and  their 
ship  would  rot  away  in  that  mighty  ocean  —  their 
fate  unknown  —  would  be  realized.  Again  scarce 
a  drop  of  water  remained,  but  when  the  last  drop 
was  gone,  clouds  gathered  and  grateful  showers 
gave  them  a  supply  for  a  few  days  longer. 


7777?  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  227 

"  Were  those  showers  sent  without  design  ?  " 
asked  Master  Walker.  "  Surely  not ;  let  us  hope 
on,  still  trusting  in  the  Lord." 

On,  on  they  glided,  sometimes  becalmed  if  driven 
west,  always  regaining  their  lost  ground  and  ad- 
vancing to  the  east.  Once  more  their  water  failed. 
With  parched  mouths  they  began  to  wish  for  death 
to  end  their  sufferings.  There  was  a  shout  from 
those  on  the  lookout  on  deck  —  "Land!  land!" 
Nearer  they  drew:  they  could  not  miss  it.  An 
island  with  hills  and  groves  of  trees ;  pure  water 
must  be  there.  Some  spoke  of  savages  to  oppose 
their  landing.  As  they  advanced,  a  reef  was  seen 
over  which  the  sea  broke.  Were  all  their  hopes  to 
be  disappointed  ?  A  passage  appeared  through  the 
reef,  wide  enough,  it  was  hoped,  for  the  ship  to 
pass.  Could  she  be  taken  through  ?  Anxiously 
all  watched  her  progress.  A  temporary  steering 
apparatus,  which  in  smooth  water  partly  served  the 
purpose  of  a  rudder,  had  been  rigged.  It  required, 
however,  the  united  strength  of  all  on  board  who 
could  be  spared  to  work  it.  Thus  no  one  was  idle. 
Raymond  was  stationed  at  the  bowsprit  end  to 
watch  for  the  appearance  of  sunken  rocks  or  reefs 
and  to  give  timely  notice  to  Way  mouth,  who  stood 
aft  to  direct  the  steering  and  to  manage  the  sails. 
The  land  looked  more  and  more  beautiful  as  the 
Lion  approached ;  greater  would  be  the  disappoint- 
ment to  the  suffering  mariners  should  they  be 
unable  to  land.     Before  them  rose  the  land  as  if 


228  ANTONY  WATMOUTU;  OB, 

just  painted  by  the  hand  of  Nature.  There  were 
the  glittering  sands,  the  palm-trees  laden  with  re- 
freshing fruit,  the  shady  groves  beneath  which  the 
cool  breeze  played  wantonly,  fertile  valleys,  hills  of 
fantastic  shapes  covered  with  a  rich  verdure,  rug- 
ged rocks  projecting  from  their  sides,  and  amid 
them  sparkling  waterfalls  leaping  downwards  and 
sending  up  wreaths  of  snowy  foam  as  they  reached 
some  crystal  pools  or  rushing  streamlets  at  their 
base.  What  rest,  what  quiet,  what  luxury  might 
be  theirs  if  they  could  but  reach  that  lovely  land ! 
No  natives  were  seen  to  impede  their  landing  or  to 
interrupt  their  enjoyment.  That  dreadful  reef  of 
hard  coral  was  still  before  them,  the  sea,  elsewhere 
so  calm  and  blue,  dashing  against  it  with  fury  as  if 
enraged  at  the  barrier  it  offered  to  its  approach. 
Still  there  was  that  one  narrow  passage  clearly 
defined,  and  within  they  hoped  to  find  a  calm 
lagoon  where  the  ship  at  length  might  be  brought 
to  an  anchor  if  they  could  pass  through  it  in  safety. 

The  breeze  increased,  driving  the  Lion  either  to 
safety  or  to  utter  destruction.  Raymond  stood 
pointing  right  ahead,  with  his  hand  now  diverging 
slightly  on  one  side,  now  on  the  other. 

"  Haul  away,  lads,  haul  away ! "  shouted  Way- 
mouth.     "  Now  steady !  steady!  " 

The  foam  rose  high  on  either  side,  curling  over 
and  falling  in  showers  on  the  inside  of  the  reef,  the 
wind  blowing  it  here  and  there,  and,  as  the  ship 
plungedr  onward   amid  it,  almost  concealing  Ray- 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS  229 

mond,  who,  however,  made  no  sign  of  alarm.  The 
ship  pitched  violently,  the  breakers  roared,  the  foam 
flew  around  her,  and  then  gliding,  on,  her  crew  per- 
ceived that  she  floated  in  a  tranquil  lagoon  shel- 
tered completely  from  the  howling  gales  or  raging 
seas.  A  cheer  burst  from  their  throats  —  very  dif- 
ferent from  the  battle-shouts  of  former  days  which 
were  wont  to  make  the  Portugals  tremble  in  their 
shoes.     The  sails  were  furled,  the  anchor  let  go. 

"  Brethren,  let  us,  as  is  becoming,  offer  our  hum- 
ble thanks  to  a  merciful  Heaven,  which  has  brought 
us  into  this  haven  of  safety,"  exclaimed  Master 
Walker,  and  all  joined  heartily  in  the  good  minis- 
ter's prayer. 

Those  were  days  when  men  were  not  ashamed 
to  worship  together  and  to  acknowledge  the  lov- 
ing Providence  which  guarded  them  from  danger. 
Boats  were  lowered,  and  while  one-half  of  the  rem- 
nant of  the  once-gallant  crew  remained  on  board 
to  guard  the  ship  in  case  of  surprise,  the  other,  well 
armed,  proceeded  on  shore  to  explore  the  island, 
and  to  procure,  without  delay,  the  much-longed-for 
fruit  and  water.  The  party  in  the  boats,  led  by 
Waymouth,  proceeded  cautiously.  They  had  had 
evidence  of  the '  treachery  of  the  natives  in  those 
regions,  and  they  every  moment  expected  to  see  a 
band  of  savages  rush  out  from  among  the  rocks  and 
trees  to  attack  them.  All  was  silent.  Eagerly 
they  stepped  on  shore.  Waymouth  posted  a  few 
men  on  the  lookout,  while  the  rest  proceeded  to 


230  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

knock  down  the  cocoa-nuts  and  to  suck  out  the  de- 
licious juice,  not  forgetting  to  take  some  to  their 
comrades  on  guard.  Then  they  hurried  on  to  the 
nearest  fountain,  which  gushed  forth  from  the  rocky 
side  of  a  hill.  Here  filling  their  water-casks,  they 
rolled  them  down  to  the  boats,  one  of  which,  laden 
with  them  and  cocoa-nuts,  forthwith  returned  to  the 
ship.  Waymouth,  with  his  small  band,  next  pro- 
ceeded to  examine  the  island.  He  could  scarcely 
believe  that  so  lovely  a  spot  should  remain  unin- 
habited, yet  so  it  seemed  —  no  sign  of  life,  at  all 
events,  was  there.  The  whole  circuit  of  the  island 
was  made,  and  not  a  human  being  was  seen.  On 
their  return,  however,  Ap  Reece,  who  was  explor- 
ing in  a  sheltered  bay  hitherto  unvisited,  shouted  to 
Waymouth  and  the  rest  to  come  to  him.  They  de- 
scended, and  a  spectacle  met  their  view  which  told 
too  clearly  the  sad  history  of  those  who  had  once 
inhabited  that  lovely  island.  Scattered  about  above 
high-water  mark  lay  the  fleshless  bones  of  numbers 
of  men,  the  spears  and  arrows  or  darts  which  had 
deprived  them  of  life  still  remaining.  They  were 
warriors,  for  the  bony  fingers  of  some  still  grasped 
the  spears  or  clubs  with  which  they  had  in  vain  at- 
tempted to  defend  their  native  shore.  But  where 
were  the  women  and  children  ?  They  had  undoubt- 
edly been  carried  off  by  the  conquerors.  It  was  a 
melancholy  scene,  on  which,  probably,  from  the 
day  of  the  battle  no  human  eye  had  rested  —  no  tear 
had  been  dropped  for  their  fate.     A  stricter  search 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  231 

was  now  instituted.  Fields  were  observed  in  which 
roots  and  various  plants  were  cultivated.  On  as- 
cending the  hills,  in  sheltered  nooks,  and  always  in 
some  picturesque  situation,  habitations  were  discov- 
ered of  curious  and  neat  workmanship,  apparently 
not  long  deserted.  Ap  Reece  declared  it  as  his 
opinion  that  the  island  was  of  volcanic  origin,  and 
that  probably  a  burning  mountain  would  be  found 
in  it.  They  continued  their  explorations,  and  on 
reaching  the  summit  of  one  of  the  highest  hills  in 
the  island  they  observed  in  the  distant  horizon  what 
looked  like  faint  blue  clouds  resting  on  the  water, 
but  which  Waymouth  pronounced  positively  to  be 
land.  It  was,  therefore,  probable  that,  although 
the  island  on  which  they  were  was  uninhabited, 
they  had  neighbors  from  whom  a  hostile  visit  might 
some  day  be  expected. 

"  Lest  they  should  come  we  must  be  prepared  for 
them,"  said  Waymouth. 

"  What  we  have  seen,  dear  friends,  proves  that, 
lovely  as  is  this  earth,  wherever  man  is  found  there 
a  paradise  does  not  exist,"  observed  Master  Walker. 
"  Those  who  search  for  such  a  spot  search  in  vain, 
believe  me." 

Many  of  those  who  heard  Master  Walker's  remarks 
might  at  other  times  have  refused  to  acknowledge 
their  justice,. but  suffering  had  tamed  the  pride  of 
all,  and  all  were  inclined  to  agree  with  one  who  had 
ever  shown  himself  a  true  friend  and  counsellor. 
One  thing  was  certain,  that  the  island  would  afford 


232  AXTOXY  WATMOUTH;  OR, 

them  ample  means  for  refreshment,  and  a  delightful 
abode  ;  the  land  was  evidently  fertile  in  the  extreme, 
the  scenery  lovely,  and  the  climate  delicious.  Hav- 
ing come  to  this  conclusion,  they  returned  on  board 
to  take  the  place  of  their  comrades,  who  had  been 
panting  to  put  foot  on  shore. 

Waymouth  had  a  consultation  with  his  officers, 
and  it  was  agreed  that  their  first  work  should  be  to 
land  the  guns,  and  stores,  and  freight,  and  to  heave 
down  the  ship  that  her  damages  might  be  examined, 
and,  if  possible,  repaired.  Short-handed  as  they 
were,  this  was  a  work  of  time.  The  freight  was 
very  great,  and  although  the  mutineers  had  carried 
off  much  gold,  still  a  vast  quantity  of  immense 
value  remained.  There  was  gold  and  silver  in 
bars  and  coins,  and  in  numberless  utensils,  and  fig- 
ures, and  crucifixes,  and  candlesticks,  and  there  were 
precious  stones,  and  silks,  and  spices,  and  all  sorts 
of  rare  and  rich  commodities ;  but  as  their  owners 
hoisted  them  with  aching  arms  out  of  the  hold,  and 
conveyed  them  to  the  shore,  they  sighed  as  they 
thought  how  utterly-  valueless  they  were  to  them 
now,  and  how,  too,  probably  they  might  never 
reach  England,  where  they  could  be  enjoyed.  Huts 
were  built  in  which  all  these  valuables  were  stored, 
even  before  the  adventurers  erected  habitations  for 
themselves.  Those  were  warlike  times,  and,  accus- 
tomed to  fighting  as  they  were,  their  next  care  was 
to  dig  trenches  and  to  place  their  guns  in  position, 
so  that  they  might  defend  themselves  and  their 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  233 

property  should  any  foes  attack  their  island.  A 
considerable  time  was  consumed  in  these  labors, 
though,  Waymouth  setting  the  example,  the  officers 
,  worked  as  hard  as  the  men.  Often,  indeed,  so 
unequal  at  first  was  their  strength  to  the  task  they 
had  undertaken,  that  even  the  strongest  fell  faint- 
ing to  the  ground  from  their  exertions.  Gradually, 
however,  with  the  pure  air  and  water,  and  the 
ample  vegetable  diet  they  enjoyed,  they  regained 
their  health  and  strength,  even  though  the  rest  they 
so  much  required  was  denied  them.  Having  com- 
pletely emptied  their  ship  and  dismantled  her,  even 
her  ballast  being  got  out,  they  waited  till  a  high 
tide,  and  placed  her  on  shore.  It  was  with  anxious 
eyes  that  they  watched  the  carpenter  as  he  made  an 
examination  of  her  hull.  With  auger  and  mallet 
in  hand  he  went  over  every  part  of  the  ship.  He 
then  desired  to  speak  to  the  captain  alone.  It 
was  some  time  before  Antony  Waymouth  again 
appeared  among  them. 

u  Friends,  hear  me,"  he  said  in  a  firm  voice. 
"  You  are  brave  men,  and  will  dare  all  that  men 
can  dare,  but  it  is  the  opinion  of  our  carpenter  (and 
you  know  that  his  judgment  is  good)  that  our  once 
stout  ship  is  not  in  a  fit  condition  to  continue  our 
voyage.  Had  we  the  means  of  repairing  her  we 
might  do  so,  but  they  do  not  exist,  and  we  must  be 
content  to  abide  our  time  here,  or  to  proceed  by 
such  other  means  as  Providence  may  send  us." 

This  address  of  the  captain  was  warmly  received, 


234  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

and  his  spirit  appeared  to  be  infused  into  theirs. 
Raymond  probably  heard  the  announcement  with 
more  pain  than  any  one  else.  His  hopes  of  return- 
ing home  seemed  forever  cut  off.  Should  he  ever 
again  see  his  beloved  Beatrice  ?  What  probability 
was  there  of  a  ship  visiting  that  island  ?  In  build- 
ing the  boat  carried  off  by  the  mutineers  they  had 
exhausted  so  large  a  portion  of  the  remnant  of  their 
stores  that  they  had  not  sufficient  to  build  another. 
One  thing  he  was  determined  to  do.  He  would 
cherish  his  love  for  Beatrice  to  the  last  gasp  of  life, 
and  would  make  every  effort  which  strength  and 
means  would  afford  to  return  to  Old  England. 
Waymouth  highly  applauded  his  resolution. 

"  Beshrew  me,  dear  coz,"  he  said,  "  it  was  a 
cruel  wrong  that  I  unwillingly  did  thee  when  I 
induced  thee  by  my  persuasions  to  come  out  to 
these  savage  regions ;  yet  I  did  it  for  love  of  thee, 
and  with  good  intentions,  and  thus  I  know  that 
thou  harborest  no  ill-will  towards  me  in  conse- 
quence. But  keep  up  thy  heart,  Ned;  we  know 
not  what  happy  turn  fortune  may  take.  Perchance, 
after  all,  we  may  patch  up  the  old  Lion  so  that  she 
may  perform  the  remainder  of  the  voyage  across 
this  wide  Pacific.  We  have  well-nigh  performed 
half  of  it  already.  Then  courage,  Ned,  courage. 
Let  us  live  on  in  hope." 

"  Thanks,  dear  captain.  I  neither  blame  thee 
nor  allow  hope  and  my  heart  to  part  company," 
answered    Raymond.      "  I  know  not  how  it  may 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  235 

happen,  but  still  I  hope  to  see  the  white  cliffs  of 
England   before  I  die." 

"  So,  marry,  do  I,"  exclaimed  Waymouth,  his 
own  spirits  rising  as  he  talked  with  his  friend. 
"  We'll  make  the  old  Lion  swim.  There  are  trees 
for  planks  and  spars ;  we  must  set  our  saws  to 
work,  and  try  what  can  be  done.  It  may  take  time, 
but  what  matters  that,  provided  we  succeed  in  the 
end  ?  " 

The  people  generally,  however,  made  no  com- 
plaint of  their  lot,  and  as  Waymouth  kept  them 
constantly  employed  without  over-exerting  them, 
they  had  no  time  to  contemplate  the  future.  , 

The  most  important  question  which  arose  was 
how  they  should  support  existence  after  the  pro- 
visions which  they  had  brought  in  the  ship  were 
exhausted.  Fish  might  be  caught,  and  there  were 
roots,  and  fruits,  and  herbs  which  Ap  Reece  and 
Master  Walker  pronounced  to  be  nutritive  and  good 
when  properly  cooked,  but  such  diet  would  scarcely 
suit  the  stomachs  and  support  the  strength  of  Eng- 
lishmen accustomed  to  the  meat  diet  of  their  native 
land.  There  were  no  beasts  on  which  they  could 
feed,  and  the  birds,  which  were  mostly  water-fowl, 
could  only  be  obtained  by  being  shot.  Now  although 
there  was  no  want  of  fire-arms,  nor  of  lead  for 
bullets  and  small  shot,  there  was  only  powder 
enough  left  to  enable  them  to  discharge  the  great 
guns  once,  or  fire  a  few  rounds  of  musketry.  This 
matter   caused  the    officers    considerable   concern. 


230  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

Should  they  repair  the  ship  or  huild  another  craft, 
they  must  have  provisions,  and  powder  for  their 
defence  and  for  procuring  provisions  ;  crossbows, 
to  be  sure,  might  be  manufactured,  but  they  were 
inefficient  weapons  compared  to  fire-arms,  though 
several  on  board  were  well  accustomed  to  their  use. 
There  was  a  great  probability,  also,  that  they 
would  be  attacked  some  day  by  the  natives  of  the 
islands  they  saw  in  the  distance,  and  although  vic- 
tory would  be  certain  if  they  could  use  their  fire- 
arms, without  them  they  might  be  overwhelmed 
by  numbers  and  conquered.  Still  they  went  on 
strengthening  their  fort,  improving  their  dwelling- 
houses,  and  making  experiments  in  the  cultivation 
of  the  various  roots  and  fruit-bearing  plants  and 
shrubs  they  found  in  the  island,  as  if  they  fully 
expected  to  remain,  at  all  events,  some  time  on  the 
spot.  They  then  began  fashioning  planks  and  spars 
for  the  ship,  setting  up  a  forge  for  the  iron-work, 
and,  as  their  canvas  had  been  almost  exhausted, 
in  converting  some  of  their  rich  silks — damaged, 
however,  by  the  water  —  into  sails  by  sewing  many 
folded  together,  thus  making  them  far  stronger 
than  any  ordinary  canvas.  All  these  were  works 
which  must  of  necessity  occupy  a  length  of  time. 
There  was  but  one  carpenter  and  one  artificer  who 
understood  the  blacksmith's  craft.  All  the  others 
had  to  be  instructed  before  they  could  render  any 
efficient  aid,  but  as  all  were  anxious  for  the  result 
they  labored  willingly  and  learned  rapidly. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  237 

On  examining  the  stores  which  had  been  landed, 
four  well-secured  casks  were  discovered  which  had 
been  taken  out  of  one  of  the  last  prizes  captured. 
The  contents  were  not  known  till  one  day  Ap 
Reece,  searching  for  a  chest  of  drugs,  examined 
one  of  them,  and  pronounced  them  to.  contain 
saltpetre. 

"  Ah  !  that  villanous  drug  of  which  "Will  Shak- 
speare  speaks,"  exclaimed  Waymouth.  "  To  us  it 
might  be  precious  if  combined  with  charcoal  and 
sulphur;  but  whence  is  the  latter  to  be  pro- 
cured ?  " 

"  We'll  see  ;  perchance  it  may  not  be  so  hard 
to  find  as  my  noble  captain  supposes,"  answered 
Ap  Reece. 

On  hearing  this  Waymouth  cheered  up  greatly. 

"  Many  are  the  obligations  we  are  under  to  you 
already,  my  good  friend,  and  a  still  greater  debt 
shall  we  owe  to  you  if  you  discover  the  means  of 
thus  supplying  our  chief  wants.  Sulphur,  I  know, 
is  brought  home  in  ships  from  Italy,  but  in  what 
other  parts  of  the  world  it  is  found  I  know  not," 
answered  Waymouth,  who  made  no  profession  of 
scientific  knowledge. 

"  In  a  few  days  I  hope  to  prove  that  I  am  right  in 
my  conjectures,"  answered  the  surgeon.  "  At  all 
events,  I  pray  thee  have  the  saltpetre  carefully 
guarded.  I  will  set  forth  at  break  of  day  to-mor- 
row in  search  of  this  article  we  so  much  covet." 

When  Master  Walker  heard  of  the  search  for 
sulphur,  he  shook  his  head,  exclaiming  — 


238  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

"  Alack !  alack !  but  the  other  day  we  were  all 
pronouncing  this  isle  to  be  a  paradise  on  earth,  and 
now  are  eagerly  seeking  for  the  means  of  destroying 
life.  Believe  me,  no  paradise  can  exist  where  the 
shafts  of  death  can  reach." 

Ap  Reece  was  right  in  his  conjectures.  After 
searching  for  several  days,  he  not  only  discovered 
a  large  amount  of  sulphur,  but  the  crater  of  a  vol- 
cano whence  it  had  proceeded.  Charcoal  was  next 
to  be  made,  and  when  that  was  produced  the  sur- 
geon commenced  his  preparation  of  gunpowder. 
Great  was  the  disappointment,  however,  when  the 
result  appeared  to  be  a  complete  failure.  A  black 
powder  was  produced,  which  burnt,  but  its  explosive 
qualities  were  very  imperfect. 

Nothing  daunted,  however,  he  again  set  to  work. 
Numberless  experiments  were  made,  and  at  length 
success  crowned  his  efforts.  The  powder  was  pro- 
nounced as  good  as  that  in  the  small  cask  they  had 
remaining.  Months,  however,  had  rolled  on  from 
the  time  of  their  first  landing  till  the  powder  was 
produced.  Though  all  had  worked  hard,  the  re- 
pairs of  the  big  ship  had  made  no  great  progress. 
Want  of  skill  and  want  of  tools  was  the  cause  of 
this.  They  had  now,  however,  forged  tools,  and 
were  gaining  skill.  Necessity  truly  is  the  mother 
of  invention.  Those  who  had  never  before  handled 
axe  or  hammer  were  becoming  fair  carpenters  and 
smiths.  Sometimes  as  they  examined  the  old  Lion, 
and  timber  after  timber  and  the  whole  lower  part 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  239 

of  the  planking  was  found  to  be  rotten,  they  were 
almost  in  despair.  Some  even  declared  that  it 
would  be  useless  to  continue  the  work,  till  Way- 
mouth's  cheerful  voice  aroused  them. 

"  Look  at  those  noble  trees,  lads !  Cannot  they 
be  made  to  produce  as  good  timbers  and  planks 
as  those  that  are  rotten,  think  ye  ? "  he  exclaimed. 
"  See  the  planks  we  have  already  formed !  All  we 
want  is  time.  What  we  may  not  effect  in  six 
months  we  surely  can  in  twelve.  Cheer  up,  brave 
lads !  cheer  up !  " 

Such  were  the  encouraging  words  he  was  wont  to 
address  to  his  men,  and  they  had  their  effect.  Two 
canoes  had  been  formed  ;  they  were  merely  trunks 
of  trees  hollowed  out,  but  they  served  the  purpose 
for  which  they  were  intended  —  to  fish  from  in  the 
calm  lagoons  round  the  coast.  Since  a  supply  of 
powder  had  been  obtained  they  were  used  for  shoot- 
ing wild  fowls,  whose  haunts  could  be  approached 
by  their  means  on  the  water  far  more  easily  than  by 
land. 

Such  was  the  state  of  affairs  when  one  day 
Edward  and  Carlingford,  with  the  two  young  cabin- 
boys,  Dick  Lizard,  and  another  man,  had  gone  out 
in  the  canoes  prepared  either  to  shoot  birds  or  to 
fish.  The  weather  being  calm,  and  they  also  being 
on  the  lee  side  of  the  island,  they  ventured  outside 
the  reef  to  a  greater  distance  than  was  their  custom 
in  order  to  visit  a  rock  some  little  way  off  on  which 
they  expected  to  find  an  abundance  of  birds.    They 


240  AS'TOXY    WAYMOVTB;  OR, 

reached  the  rock  in  safety,  and  found  not  only  birds 
but  eggs  in  vast  quantities,  which  would  afford  a 
healthful  and  pleasant  change  of  diet.  Well  pleased 
with  thus  obtaining  an  ample  supply  of  food  with 
little  trouble  —  for  the  eggs  were  to  be  had  for  the 
picking  up,  and  the  birds  by  knocking  them  down 
with  sticks  without  firing  a  shot  —  they  at  once 
began  to  fill  their  canoes.  They  had  well-nigh  com- 
pleted their  cargoes,  when,  on  looking  seaward, 
Edward's  eye  fell  on  an  object  on  the  water  seem- 
ingly approaching  them.  They  soon  discovered  it 
to  be  a  large  double  canoe.  They  had  had  proof 
of  the  treacherous  nature  of  the  savages  of  those 
regions.  They  soon  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
unless  they  wisheu  to  engage  in  a  sanguinary  contest 
with  the  people  on  board  the  big  canoe  it  would  be 
wiser  to  return  forthwith  to  the  mainland.  By  the 
aid  of  their  fire-arms  they  might  undoubtedly  come 
off  victorious,  but  not  without  killing  many  of  the 
savages,  and  this  Edward  was  most  anxious  to  avoid 
doing.  All  the  scenes  of  battle  and  bloodshed 
through  which  he  had  gone  had  not  hardened  his 
heart,  and  he  longed  for  the  time  when  he  might 
sheathe  his  sword  and  never  draw  it  more. 

The  Englishmen  took  their  seats  in  their  small 
skiffs,  and  the  savages  in  their  large  vessel  ap- 
proached the  rock.  They  had  come  probably  for 
the  purpose  also  of  .collecting  eggs  and  birds.  The 
canoes  had  got  about  half  way  to  the  main  island 
when  they  landed  on   the  rock.     They  could  not 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  241 

have  been  long  there  before  they  must  have  discov- 
ered that  it  had  been  visited,  and  their  eyes  being 
directed  towards  the  island,  they  must  have  dis- 
covered the  canoes. 

Although  the  large  double  canoes  of  those  seas 
sail  at  a  prodigious  rate  when  once  launched,  they 
are  so  heavy  that  they  cannot  with  ease  be  pushed 
off  from  the  land.  Before  this  was  accomplished 
the  wind  had  risen,  blowing  from  the  island  towards 
the  rock.  Edward  and  his  companions  paddled  on 
with  all  their  might.  Their  fire-arms  would  avail 
them  nothing  if  the  strangers  were  to  attempt  to 
run  them  down.  It  was  with  great  satisfaction, 
therefore,  that  they  saw  the  breeze  rise,  which  as 
they  drew  near  the  shore  offered  no  opposition  to 
their  light  canoes. 

"  Very  probably  those  savages  are  some  of  the 
people  who  destroyed  the  inhabitants  of  this  island," 
said  Carlingford.  "  They  will  have  discovered  our 
traces  on  the  rock,  and  will  fancy  that  some  of  their 
enemies  must  have  escaped  them." 

"  Whatever  they  think,  we  may  expect  a  visit 
from  them  ere  long,"  answered  Edward.  "  We 
must  be  prepared  for  them,  and  as  maybe  there  is 
no  time  for  delay  and  we  cannot  afford  to  lose  these 
birds  and  eggs,  we  must  load  ourselves  with  them 
and  carry  them  across  the  island." 

Drawing  their  canoes  out  of  the  water  and  con- 
cealing them  in  the  bushes,  they  loaded  themselves 
with  the  birds,  carrying  the  eggs  in  baskets,  and 

16 


242  ANTONY  WAYMOUTHi  OR, 

hurried  on,  leaving  Mr.  Carlingford  to  watch  the 
proceedings  of  the  strangers. 

On  receiving  the  information  brought  by  Edward, 
Waymouth  summoned  his  followers  from  all  direc- 
tions into  the  fort  and  made  arrangements  for  their 
defence.  The  canoes  which  had  pursued  them 
must  have  each  carried  a  hundred  men  or  more, 
and  as  they  did  not  muster  altogether  more  than 
tbirty  souls,  they  could  not  expect  without  some 
difficulty  to  drive  off  their  assailants.  All  their 
preparations  were  completed  when  the  lieutenant 
brought  word  that  the  strange  canoes  had  sailed 
away  towards  the  land  in  the  north-east.  This  in- 
cident showed  them  more  than  ever  the  necessity  of 
being  on  their  guard  against  surprise,  and  conse- 
quently lookouts  were  stationed  on  two  high  points 
in  different  parts  of  the  island  to  give  notice  of  the 
approach  of  any  strange  canoes. 

Fortunate  was  it  for  the  adventurers  that  they 
had  a  leader  possessed  of  so  much  judgment  and  dis- 
cretion as  well  as  bravery.  Some  had  begun  to 
grumble  at  having  two  persons  taken  off  every  day 
from  the  important  work  of  repairing  the  ship,  when, 
ten  days  after  the  circumstance  above  mentioned, 
one  of  the  watchmen  came  hurrying  in  to  announce 
the  appearance  of  a  large  fleet  of  double  canoes  — 
there  might  be  fifteen  or  more,  but  it  was  difficult 
at  the  distance  they  were  off  to  count  them.  The 
other  lookout-man  having  been  sent  for,  the  first, 
with  Lizard,  went  out  to  watch  the  proceedings  of 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  243 

the  strangers.  Waymouth,  urged  by  Master  Walker 
and  Raymond,  resolved,  if  possible,  to  treat  them  as 
friends,  and  to  avoid  bloodshed  as  long  as  he  could. 
One  of  the  chief  objects  in  building  the  fort  was  to 
defend  the  ship,  and  some  of  the  guns  were  so 
placed  as  to  play  upon  all  approaching  her. 

Every  possible  precaution  had  been  taken,  when, 
in  the  evening,  Lizard  arrived,  bringing  the  infor- 
mation that  the  enemy  had  lauded,  and  appeared 
to  be  making  preparations  to  encamp  on  the  shore. 
He  computed  that  there  could  not  be  much  fewer 
than  a  thousand  of  them.  There  were  no  women  or 
children ;  and  as  they  were  all  armed,  and  decked 
out  with  paint  and  feathers,  there  could  be  no  doubt 
that  they  had  come  with  some  hostile  intention. 
Night  came  on,  and  the  savages  did  not  approach. 
It  was  possible  that  they  might  not  be  aware  of  the 
presence  of  the  white  men  ;  or  if  they  had  by  any 
means  discovered  the  erection  of  the  fort,  they 
might  purpose  to  attack  it  during  the  night.  At 
all  events,  it  was  necessary  for  the  adventurers  to 
keep  a  vigilant  watch. 

The  hours  of  darkness  passed  away.  No  foes 
had  appeared.  It  was  possible,  however,  that  they 
might  be  watching  in  ambush  in  the  neighborhood 
to  rush  into  the  fort  as  soon  as  the  little  garrison 
were  off  their  guard.  Waymouth  was  not  a  com- 
mander to  be  thus  taken  by  surprise.  As  soon  as 
dawn  had  broke  he  sent  out  scouts  to  examine  the 
thickets  around.      No  foes  were  there  concealed ; 


244  ANTONY  WATMOUTHi   OR, 

they  therefore  advanced  farther  and  farther.  Gain- 
ing a  height  which  commanded  a  valley  along 
which  the  savages  would  probably  approach,  a  party 
of  them  were  seen  advancing  along  it  and  examining 
the  country  on  either  side  ;  some  going  first  were 
evidently  scouts,  and  tracing  out  the  track  made  by 
the  adventurers  as  they  crossed  the  island.  The 
savages  were  seen  to  halt,  and  they  remained  station- 
ary till  they  were  joined  by  a  considerably  larger 
body.  The  English  scouts  hurried  back  to  the  fort. 
They  had  not  long  reached  it  when  the  scouts  of 
the  enemy  were  seen  emerging  from  the  valley. 
They  drew  back  when  they  caught  sight  of  the  fort, 
and  evidently  understood  its  object.  One  thing, 
however,  it  was  very  evident  that  they  did  not  under- 
stand—  the  power  of  the  guns  mounted  within 
it — for  in  a  short  time  their  whole  army  collected 
within  range,  so  that  it  would  have  been  in  the 
power  of  the  English  to  have  destroyed  a  large 
number  without  giving  them  warning. 

At  Master  Walker's  suggestion,  Way  mouth,  be- 
fore allowing  a  shot  to  be  fired,  resolved  to  try  what 
negotiation  might  effect.  A  white  flag  was  hoisted 
in  the  fort,  but  it  was  totally  disregarded :  the  sav- 
ages did  not  understand  its  meaning.  Several  then 
volunteered  to  go  out  and  speak  to  them ;  but  as 
no  one  comprehended  their  language,  that  would 
be  of  no  use.  Master  Walker  recommended  that 
some  presents  should  be  carried  and  placed  on  the 
ground  midway  between  them.      This  was  done  ; 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  245 

but  the  savages,  instead  of  placing  others  in  their 
stead,  rushing  forward,  carried  them  off  with  shouts 
of  derisive  laughter,  taking  the  gifts  more  as  a 
tribute  than  as  a  token  of  amity. 

Another  effort  was  to  be  made.  Edward  and 
Carlingford  advanced,  making  signs  of  amity,  but 
it  seemed  that  they  were  not  understood,  for  sud- 
denly some  hundreds  of  the  savages,  with  fearful 
yells,  rushed  forward,  with  clubs  uplifted  as  if  to 
destroy  them.  -Such  evidently  was  their  intention. 
Waymouth  saw  that  there  was  but  one  way  to  save 
the  lives  of  Ms  friends,  and  he  gave  the  order  to 
the  arquebusiers  to  open  their  fire  to  the  right  and 
left  of  the  English  and  over  their  heads,  while  at 
the  same  time  the  great  guns  belched  forth  flame 
and  shot  oii  the  advancing  masses.  The  effect  was 
magical.  Numbers  fell  to  the  ground  overpowered 
by  fear  rather  than  by  wounds,  some  fled,  others 
stood  still,  but  none  advanced.  Before  any  had 
recovered  from  their  panic,  Edward  and  his  com- 
panion were  in  the  fort.  The  savages,  after  a  short 
time  regaining  courage,  collected  in  vast  numbers 
on  the  land  side  of  the  fort,  gazing  with  wonder  at 
it,  and  at  the  ship,  of  which  they  could  obtain  a 
good  view.  The  artillery  had  not  done  sufficient 
execution  to  show  them  its  power  ;  and  once  more 
flourishing  their  clubs,  and  leaping  and  shouting, 
they  advanced  towards  the  fort. 

This  was  no  time  for  trifling.  Should  they  per- 
severe in  the  face  of  the  fire-arms,  they  might  by 


246  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

their  numbers  alone  overwhelm  the  little  garrison. 
Way  mouth  ordered  the  guns  to  be  fired  this  time 
directly  at  the  foe.  The  effect  exhibited  when  the 
smoke  cleared  off  was  indeed  like  the  work  of 
magic ;  the  space  lately  filled  with  leaping,  shout- 
ing beings  was  entirely  emptied,  except  here  and 
there  a  few  dark  forms  which  lay  writhing  or 
stretched  at  length  and  motionless  on  the  ground. 
Not  another  savage  was  to  be  seen. 

A  shout  was  bursting  from  the  lips  of  the  adventu- 
rers at  this  speedy  repulse  of  their  foes,  when  there 
was  a  burst  of  flame,  a  terrific  roar,  the  earth  shook 
under  their  feet,  earth,  and  rafters,  and  clods  of 
grass  came  showering  down  on  their  heads,  and  the 
cries  and  groans  of  wounded  men  struck  the  ears 
of  the  rest  with  alarm.  Their  magazine  had  ex- 
ploded, and  every  grain  of  powder,  except  such  as 
was  in  the  guns  turned  seaward  and  in  the  pouches 
of  the  arquebusiers,  was  destroyed.  Two  of  their 
number  had  been  killed  by  the  explosion,  and 
several  were  wounded  by  the  falling  fragments  of 
the  building.  Even  the  bravest  began  to  despair, 
and  to  believe  that  they  were  about  to  be  slaugh- 
tered by  the  savages.  The  voice  of  Waymouth 
once  more  restored  their  confidence. 

"  What,  lads !  are  we,  who  have  for  years  past 
fought  and  conquered  countless  numbers  of  Portu- 
gal, Turks,  and  infidels  of  all  sorts,  to  be  downcast 
because  a  few  casks  of  gunpowder  blow  up  and  a 
few  score  of  naked  savages  are  shrieking  away  in 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  247 

front  of  us  ?  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Cheer  up !  What 
has  happened  is  but  the  fortune  of  war.  Probably 
the  savages,  having  had  a  specimen  of  our  prowess, 
will  not  venture  again  to  molest  us,  and  if  they  do 
we  have  still  some  powder  and  sharp  swords  with 
which  to  defend  ourselves." 

These  words  had  the  effect  intended.  Ap  Reece 
attended  to  the  wounded.  The  two  poor  fellows 
who  had  been  killed  bringing  out  the  powder  were 
buried,  and  the  adventurers  waited  with  calmness 
for  the  return  of  the  savages,  should  they  again 
venture  on  an  attack.  Waymouth  was  certain  that 
they  still  remained  in  the  neighborhood,  as  now  and 
then  a  person  could  be  seen  passing  in  the  far  dis- 
tance, and  he  was  loath  to  send  out  a  scout  lest  he 
might  be  set  on  by  any  natives  lying  in  ambush  and 
carried  off. 

Darkness  returned.  Strict  watch  was  kept,  and 
few  of  the  adventurers  closed  their  eyes  in  sleep. 
Long  and  dreary  seemed  the  night.  "Would  the 
savages  pluck  up  courage  and  return  to  the  attack  ? 
If  they  were  of  the  same  character  as  those  who 
had  destroyed  the  mutineers,  more  ferocious  sav- 
ages it  would  be  hard  to  find.  Sounds  were  heard 
during  the  night,  but  the  stars  were  obscured  by 
clouds  and  mist,  and  no  object  could  be  discerned 
at  any  distance  from  the  fort. 

Morning  at  length  returned,  and  by  the  light  of 
day  it  was  discovered  that  both  the  dead  and  the 
wounded  had  been  carried  off.     It  was  important 


248  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH  i  OH, 

to  ascertain  whether  the  enemy  still  lurked  in  the 
neighborhood.  Several  of  the  party  volunteered  to 
go  out  for  this  object.  Waymouth  accepted  the 
offer  of*  Carlingford  and  young  Martin.  Their 
progress  was  anxiously  watched  from  the  fort. 
They  at  length  disappeared  among  the  trees.  Their 
friends  trembled  lest  the  savages  might  set  on  them. 
Now  two  objects  were  seen  moving  on  a  hill  in  the 
distance  :  it  might  be  them.  Two  hours  passed 
away.  They  did  not  appear.  Either  the  enemy 
having  taken  their  departure,  they  had  proceeded 
across  the  island,  or  they  had  been  set  upon  and 
destroyed.  Several  wished  to  go  out  to  search  for 
their  friends,  but  this  Waymouth  would  not  allow. 
Their  fears  were,  however,  banished  .when  their  lost 
friends  were  seen  approaching.  They  brought  the 
intelligence  that  the  savages  had  embarked  in  their 
large  canoes  and  had  sailed  away.  This  was  satis- 
factory news. 

In  vain,  however,  did  they  endeavor  to  manufac- 
ture some  powder  instead  of  that  which  had  been 
destroyed.  Without  saltpetre  they  could  do  nothing. 
For  some  time,  also,  they  could  make  no  progress 
with  the  ship.  The  carpenter  and  smith  had  both 
been  injured  by  the  explosion,  and  the  two  men 
killed  had  been  among  the  best  artificers.  Often  as 
Waymouth  and  Edward  examined  the  work,  they 
agreed  that  it  might  have  been  wiser  to  have  built  a 
new  vessel  altogether  of  much  smaller  dimensions. 
Still,   notwithstanding    all    their    disappointments 


THE   GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  249 

and  difficulties,  they  proved  themselves  to  be  true 
men  by  perseveringly  laboring  on.  One  error  was 
allowed  to  "be  committed.  When  all  fears  of  the 
return  of  the  savages  had  subsided,  the  desire  to 
obtain  birds  was  so  great  that  the  powder  was  ex- 
pended to  shoot  them,  those  on  the  rock  having  been 
mostly  frightened  away.  Many  more  months  passed 
away.  Had  it  not  been  for  good  Master  Walker, 
who  over  reminded  them  of  the  Sabbath,  and  ex- 
horted them  on  that  day  to  refrain  from  work,  they 
would  have  lost  all  note  of  time. 

The  hull  was  at  length  almost  completed ;  the 
sails  were  manufactured,  and  a  supply  of  cordage ; 
the  masts  had  next  to  be  formed  and  got  in,  as  also 
the  spars.  The  larger  trees  best  suited  for  the  pur- 
pose were  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  island,  and  a 
party  had  gone  across  to  select  some  for  the  purpose 
required,  when,  after  a  time,  they  were  seen  hurry- 
ing back  with  looks  of  consternation.  They  had 
cause  for  alarm.  A  fleet  of  canoes  twice  as  numer- 
ous as  that  of  their  former  visitors  was  seen  approach- 
ing the  island,  and  would  sooii  be  on  shore.  Signals 
were  made  to  recall  all  those  at  a  distance  into  the 
fort.  Every  means  which  could  be  thought  of  was 
taken  to  strengthen  the  fortifications.  An  examina- 
tion was  made  of  the  remaining  powder.  The  error 
which  had  been  committed  was  evident ;  there  was 
not  enough  to  load  all  the  great  guns,  leaving  none 
for  the  smaller  pieces,  and  of  that  little  which  re- 
mained a  considerable  portion  was  damp,  and  would 
require  to  be  dried  before  it  could  be  used. 


250  ANTONY  WAY  MOUTH;   OR, 

Waymouth,  in  this  emergency,  endeavored  as 
before  to  inspire  his  followers  with  courage.  He 
ordered  three  guns  to  be  loaded  pointing  in  the 
direction  by  which  it  was  expected  the  savages 
would  approach  if  their  purpose  was  to  attack  the 
fort.  The  rest  was  divided  among  the  arquebusiers, 
who  were  charged  not  to  throw  a  shot  away.  There 
were  a  few  crossbows  which  were  eagerly  brought 
into  requisition,  and  every  man  had  besides  a  pike, 
battle-axe,  and  sword,  so  that,  compared  to  the 
savages,  they  were  well  armed.  Still  it  was  fearful 
odds  for  eight  and  twenty  men  to  contend  against 
a  thousand.  The  night  was  approaching.  The 
sun  went  down  in  an  angry  mood,  and  the  wind 
began  to  blow  strongly,  and  went  on  increasing  till 
it  raged  fearfully  among  the  tall  palm-trees,  which 
bent  like  willow  wands  before  its  fury.  Fiercer  and 
fiercer  it  blew. 

Sentinels  were  posted  round  the  fort,  for  it  was 
conjectured  that  the  savages  might  make  their  ap- 
proach during  the  darkness,  in  the  hopes  of  taking 
the  garrison  by  surprise.  The  gray  dawn  appeared. 
No  foe  was  in  sight.  Just,  however,  before  the  sun 
should  arise  —  for  his  beams  could  not  penetrate 
through  the  dark  canopy  of  clouds  overhead  —  sud- 
denly from  every  quarter  on  the  land  side  appeared 
from  among  the  trees  large  bodies  of  savages  dressed 
with  their  war  ornaments,  and  wildly  flourishing 
their  weapons,  while,  as  they  rushed  on,  they  ut- 
tered  the  most  fearful  shrieks.     Nearer  they  ap- 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  251 

proached.  At  a  signal  from  Waymouth  the  guns 
opened  on  them ;  bat  though  many  were  laid  low, 
this  did  not  stop  the  rest.  The  guns  no  longer 
roared.  The  foe  came  on  as  before ;  like  ants  they 
swarmed  round  the  fort.  The  arquebusiers  reserved 
their  fire  till  the  enemy  was  close  upon  them.  Now 
began  the  fierce  strife.  As  the  savages  rushed  on 
they  were  driven  back  with  the  bullets  which  hailed 
on  them,  with  thrusts  of  pikes  and  blows  of  battle- 
axes.  Still  more  came  on.  These  were  no  ordi- 
nary savages.  It  was  evident  that  they  were  well 
accustomed  to  scenes  of  bloodshed  :  they  fought 
more  like  demons  than  men.  They  were  driven 
back  only  to  return  with  greater  fury,  like  the 
waves  of  the  stormy  ocean. 

Three  of  the  adventurers  lay  dead,  several  more 
were  wounded  ;  still  the  brave  band  encouraged 
each  other  to  persevere.  They  mostly  fought  with 
desperation,  not  expecting  to  escape,  but  resolved 
to  sell  their  lives  dearly.  More  savages  were  com- 
ing on,  when  suddenly  they  paused.  Those  who 
were  fighting  drew  back  with  astonishment  in  their 
countenances.  Waymouth,  who  was  everywhere, 
rushing  here  and  there  to  aid  those  the  most  hard 
pressed,  turned  his  eyes  seaward,  and  there  he 
beheld  a  fine  ship  with  her  tacks  aboard,  endeavor- 
ing to  beat  off  the  island,  which  it  was  evident  she 
had  discovered  at  daybreak,  when  too  late,  close 
under  her  lee.  She  might  escape  the  most  danger- 
ous reef,  but  there  was  a  point  of  land  on  which  he 


252  AX  TONY  WAY  MOUTH;  OR, 

judged  that  she  must  inevitably  strike.  All  the  can- 
vas she  could  carry  was  set,  and  heeling  over  to  the 
gale  she  plunged  furiously  through  the  foaming 
seas.  He  shuddered  to  think  what  would  be  the 
fate  of  her  crew  should  they  fall  into  the  hands  of 
the  savages,  and  he  longed  to  be  able  to  hurry  to 
their  assistance.  The  savages,  meantime,  it  seemed, 
believed  that  she  was  some  being  sent  to  the  as- 
sistance of  those  with  whom  they  were  fighting, 
and,  calling  loudly  to  each  other,  they  sprang 
back  out  of  the  conflict,  and  the  whole  body  rushed 
away  into  the  cocoa-nut  grove,  and  were  soon  hid 
from  view. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  253 


CHAPTER    XI. 

Beatrice  Willoughby  was  seated,  with  her  em- 
broidery before  her,  in  the  with  drawing-room  of 
the  old  hall  where  her  childhood's  happier  days  had 
been  passed.  Her  dress  showed  that  she  had  los't 
some  near  relative.  In  truth,  the  Lady  Willoughby, 
her  mother,  had  been  summoned  to  happier  realms, 
and  she  and  Hugh  were  left  orphans,  alone  in  the 
world,  all  in  all  to  each  other.  Hugh  had  altered 
much  for  the  better.  He  felt  his  responsibilities  — 
that  his  dear  sister  was  greatly  dependent  on  him — 
anu  her  happiness  had  become  his  chief  care.  She 
was  not,  however,  dependent  for  support  on  him, 
for  she  had  a  handsome  dower,  which  would  enable 
her  to  live  as  became  her  rank.  She  was  not  alone ; 
Hugh  was  there,  seated  at  a  window,  engrossed  in  a 
book  of  travels,  for  to  see  the  wide  world  had  be- 
come the  great  desire  of  his  heart.  Unable  himself 
to  wander  forth  to  foreign  lands,  he  obtained  every 
book  in  his  power  which  described  distant  countries 
and  the  adventures  of  those  who  had  visited  them. 

Beatrice  had  a  more  sociable  companion  than  her 
brother  in  sweet  Constance  Raymond,  who,  having 
lost  the  old  knight  her  father,  had  lately  taken  up 
her  abode  with  her  friend.     Both  girls  were  mis- 


254  ANTONY  WAYMOUTBi  OR, 

tresses  of  themselves,  and  enjoyed  no  small  satisfac- 
tion in  feeling  their  independence.  Hugh  no  longer 
affected  Mistress  Constance.  He  had  been  so  long 
in  her  company  that  he  had  learned  to  look  on  her 
in  the  light  of  a  sister  whom  it  was  his  duty  to  pro- 
tect and  support  as  he  felt  that  he  should  his  own 
sister  Beatrice.  In  truth,  sweet  Mistress  Constance, 
being  a  year  or  more  older  than  Hugh,  and  of  a 
somewhat  vehement  if  not  imperious  temper,  had 
herself  done  much  to  cure  him  of  the  tender  senti- 
ment which  at  one  time  seemed  about  to  spring  up 
in  his  bosom. 

The  young  people  were  not,  however,  without 
one  who  acted  the  part  of  a  guardian,  although  he 
could  not  claim  the  legal  right  of  being  so.  This 
was  honest  John  Langton  —  Captain  John  Langton 
—  a  devoted  friend  and  follower  of  their  honored 
father,  Sir  Hugh  Willoughby.  Sickness  had  pre- 
vented him  from  going  that  fatal  voyage  from  which 
the  brave  knight  never  returned.  Captain  Langton 
was  an  experienced  seaman ;  he  had  made  many 
voyages  to  various  regions,  and  was  a  man  of  great 
judgment  and  discretion.  Although  the  snow  of  the 
winter  of  life  had  already  sprinkled  his  head,  his 
health  and  strength  were  unimpaired,  while  the 
spirit  of  adventure  which  had  tempted  him  abroad 
in  his  younger  days  lay  smouldering  within  his  bo- 
som, ready  to  burn  up  should  occasion  blow  upon 
it.  He  lived  in  a  small  mansion  close  by  the  hall, 
where  he  was  an  almost  daily  visitor. 


THE   GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  255 

It  may  be  supposed  that  the  very  constant  sub- 
ject of  conversation  between  the  two  young  maidens 
was  the  fate  of  him  who  had  been  so  long  absent, 
and  of  whom  since  they  had  last  received  tidings 
more  than  two  years  had  passed  —  long,  long  years 
they  had  been  to  them.  Still  they  lived  on  in  hope 
of  hearing  of  Edward,  or  some  day  of  seeing  him 
walk  in,  full  of  health  and  strength,  and  to  hear  him 
recount  the  adventures  he  had  gone  through.  As 
to  the  wealth  he  had  coveted,  it  mattered  little  to 
them  whether  he  brought  it  or  not,  provided  he  was 
never  again  tempted  to  go  in  search  of  it.  There 
was  another,  too,  in  whose  fate,  though  he  knew  not 
of  it,  the  lovely  Constance  was  interested.  When 
Edward  had  written  home  he  had  spoken  little  of 
his  own  deeds,  but  he  had  enlarged  greatly  on  the 
gallantry  of  his  friend  Waymouth,  and  her  enthu- 
siastic imagination  adding  lustre  to  his  acts,  she 
had  pictured  him  to  herself  as  worthy  of  being  a 
hero  of  romance,  and  had  without  hesitation  en- 
couraged that  sentiment  towards  him,  which,  if  not 
love,  was  nearly  allied  to  it. 

Hugh,  who  had  come  to  the  end  of  his  book,  and 
was  gazing  out  of  the  window,  wondering  when  he 
should  have  the  opportunity  of  visiting  the  scenes 
described  therein,  suddenly  exclaimed  — 

"There  is  a  stranger  coming  along  the  paths. 
His  dress,  much  the  worse  for  wear,  betokens  him 
to  be  a  seafaring  man,  and  his  features  are  dark  and 
weather-beaten.  Maybe  he  brings  tidings  from  the 
distant  Eastern  seas." 


256  AXTOSY  WAYMOUTiti  9*, 

The  hearts  of  his  fair  hearers  beat  quick  as  they 
heard  these  words.  Who  could  this  weather-beaten 
stranger  be  ?  They  in  the  same  breath-  entreated 
Hugh  to  hasten  out  and  to  bring  in  the  seaman  lest 
he  should  pass  by,  not  that  i$  was  likely  he  would 
so  do  without  stopping  to  ask  an  alms  or  the  means 
of  proceeding  on  his  way.  He  was  evidently  foot- 
sore and  weary,  and  probably  hungry  and  poor,  and 
as  such  alone  claimed  their  compassion.  Hugh 
gladly  hurried  out,  and  soon  returned  with  the  way- 
farer. He  was  a  man  of  middle  age,  and,  though 
his  countenance  spoke  of  toil  and  torrid  climes,  he 
was  stout  of  limb  and  broad  of  shoulder,  and  had 
no  lack  of  work  in  him  ;  and,  though  his  garments 
were  worn  almost  to  tatters,  they  had  once  been  of 
a  rich  description.  He  doffed  his  battered  beaver 
as  he  entered  the  hall,  and  stood  before  the  fair 
dames  in  a  humble  posture,  waiting  till  they  ad- 
dressed him. 

"  Whence  come  you,  stranger,  and  what  brings 
you  into  these  parts?  "  asked  Beatrice  in  a  gentle 
voice  calculated  to  give  encouragement  to  the  per- 
son she  addressed. 

She  spoke  not  without  hesitation,  and  in  truth 
she  had  no  great  expectation  of  hearing  aught  of 
him  she  loved. 

"  I  come,  lady,  from  far-distant  regions  ;  my  call- 
ing is  on  the  sea,  my  birthplace  near  Gloucester ; 
and  landing  at  Plymouth  without  rhino  in  my 
purse,  food  in  my  pouch,  or  friends  to  afford  me 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  257 

any,  I  have  been  working  my  way  as  best  I  could  to 
that  home  where  I  hope  to  find  rest  and  quiet  after 
all  my  toils,"  answered  the  stranger  bluntly. 

"  What  took  you  to  those  foreign  lands  ?  "  asked 
Beatrice,  somewhat  disappointed  with  the  answer. 

"  My  own  folly,  and,  maybe,  greed  of  gain,"  he 
replied  in  the  same  tone.  "  I  gained  wisdom,  and 
might  have  gained  wealth  had  it  not  taken  to  itself 
wings  and  flown  away." 

But  with  whom  did  you  sail  to  those  far-distant 
realms  ?  Surely  you  went  not  alone  ?  "  said  Con- 
stance in  a  tone  which  showed  that  she  might  not 
be  inclined  to  brook  a  saucy  answer. 

"  Your  pardon,  fair  ladies  ;  I  saw  not  the  drift  of 
your  questions,"  replied  the  seaman.  "  I  sailed  in 
the  company  of  a  brave  admiral, 'Captain  Lancaster, 
on  board  his  tall  ship  the  Red  Dragon,  with  several 
other  goodly  ships,  the  Serpent,  the  Lion,  the  Lion's 
Whelp  "— 

"  Can  you  give  us  tidings  of  any  on  board  the 
Lion  ? "  exclaimed  Beatrice,  eagerly  interrupting 
him. 

The  stranger  shook  his  head. 

"  Bad  tidings  only,  I  fear,  sweet  ladies,"  he  an- 
swered with  some  feeling.  "  Of  all  that  gallant 
company,  captains,  and  officers,  and  men,  I  am  the 
only  one,  to  the  best  of  my  belief,  who  yet  breathes 
the  air  of  heaven  —  except,"  he  added,  seeing  the 
effect  his  words  were  producing  on  his  fair  auditors, 
"  one  of  the  ships,  storm-driven,  found  a  haven  of 

17 


258  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH ;  OR, 

which  I  know  nothing ;  the  remainder  of  the  brave 
squadron  I  saw  go  down  into  the  ocean  depths  with 
all  their  gallant  crews  "  — 

"  What  —  what  was  the  name  of  the  ship  which 
may  have  escaped  that  dreadful  doom  ?  "  exclaimed 
both  the  fair  girls  at  once  in  accents  scarcely  artic- 
ulate from  agitation. 

"  The  Lion  was  the  ship,  once  commanded  by 
Captain  Wood,  and,  when  he  became  admiral,  by 
Captain  Antony  Waymouth,  as  brave  an  officer  as 
ever  held  a  sword,"  answered  the  seaman,  evidently 
now  wishing  to  speak  to  the  purpose.  "  We  had 
long  been  parted  from  him,  I  being  still  on  board 
the  Red  Dragon,  when  a  fierce  tempest  arose  —  so 
fierce  I  had  never  before  encountered.  One  by  one 
we  saw  consorts,  long  battered  by  the  waves  and 
shattered  in  battles  innumerable,  go  down,  all  on 
board  perishing.  Scarcely  could  the  Red  Dragon 
keep  afloat,  much  less  render  assistance  to  others. 
Her  turn  came.  We  had  been  driving  to  the  east, 
hoping  to  find  a  haven  where  we  might  repair  our 
damages,  when,  even  in  sight  of  land,  the  tempest 
still  raging,  a  whole  plank,  it  seemed,  started,  for, 
without  many  minutes  for  preparation,  the  big  ship 
began  to  settle  bodily  down  into  the  sea.  There 
was  no  time  to  cut  loose  the  boats  —  no  time  to 
form  a  raft.  I  felt  the  deck  sink  under  me  ;  shrieks 
and  cries  arose.  I  clutched  a  large  spar  which  had 
been  left  unsecured  on  deck,  and  found  myself 
floating  amid  the  foaming  waves.     My  companions 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  259 

in  misfortune  gradually  disappeared.  One  by  one 
they  sank  down  till  I  was  alone.  The  storm  sub- 
sided. For  nearly,  two  days  I  clung  to  the  spar, 
and  when  my  strength  was  well-nigh  gone,  a  ship 
of  the  Hollanders,  sailing  from  land,  took  me  aboard. 
The  gale  had  but  sunk  to  rest  for  a  season.  It 
rose  again,  and  the  stout  ship  was  driven  before  it 
far  to  the  east  amid  islands  with  which  no  one  on 
board  was  acquainted.  We  explored  among  them 
for  a  long  time,  but  the  hurricane  season  was  not 
over.  Our  captain  observed  signs  of  a  coming 
storm,  and  with  a  sagacity  for  which  those  Hol- 
landers are  justly  famed  he  brought  up  inside  a 
reef,  where,  sheltered  from  the  sea,  we  might  lie 
safely  at  anchor.  While  there,  the  gale  continuing, 
I  saw  a  ship  approaching,  and  feared  greatly  that 
she  might  be  dashed  on  the  reef.  Anxiously  I 
watched  her  as  she  drew  near.  I  knew  her  at  once, 
having  so  long  sailed  in  her  company.  She  was  the 
once  tall  ship  the  Lion,  now  sadly  shattered  and 
shorn  of  her  beauty.  She  escaped  the  reef  but  by 
half  a  cable's  length,  it  seemed,  and  on  she  drove  to 
the  westward.  As  long  as  I  could  see  her  from  the 
mast-head,  to  which  I  ascended,  escaping  all  dan- 
gers, she  drove  in  the  same  direction.  Scarcely 
could  I  hope,  however,  with  the  numberless  islands 
which  besprinkle  'that  ocean,  she  could  drive  clear 
of  them  all.  Still  she  may  have  escaped.  The 
gale  continued  for  many  days.  Sometimes  the 
wind  dropped,  but  the  skipper  refused  to  leave  the 


260  AXTOXY   WAYMOUTR;   OR, 

shelter  of  the  reef,  and  sure  enough  before  long  the 
storm  raged  again  more  furiously  than  ever.  It 
was  his  opinion,  too,  that  the  gale  would  continue 
blowing  on  towards  the  east,  so  that  a  ship  might 
be  driven  half  round  the  world  by  it  before  she 
would  again  find  herself  in  a  calm.  But  I  weary 
you,  fair  ladies." 

"  Go  on,  go  on,  good  friend  !  "  exclaimed  Bea- 
trice, her  bosom  heaving  with  agitation.  "  Didst 
ever  gain  further  tidings  of  the  Lion  ?  " 

K  No,  lady,  not  from  that  day  to  this,"  answered 
the  seaman.  "  All  I  know  is  that  it  was  the  Hol- 
lander's opinion  if  any  of  her  company  survive  they 
must  be  dwelling  on  one  of  the  islands  of  the 
Pacific,  on  whose  shore,  undoubtedly,  the  ribs  of 
the  good  ship  are  lying." 

"  Beatrice !  Hugh !  let  us  go  and  search  for 
them ! "  exclaimed  Constance,  springing  up  with 
her  eyes  streaming,  and  her  hands  clasped  in  au 
appealing  attitude,  first  turning  to  one  and  then  to 
the  other.  "  Stranger,  could  you  guide  a  ship  in 
the  direction  in  which  you  think  they  were  driven  ? 
We  would  search  every  shore,  we  would  visit  every 
island  in  that  mighty  Pacific,  till  we  found  them. 
It  were  a  shame  if  we  were  to  allow  my  noble 
brother  Edward  and  that  gallant  Captain  Antony 
"Wavmouth  to  perish  on  some  desert  isle  without 
making  an  effort  to  save  them,  and  bring  them 
back  to  their  native  shores.  Hugh,  the  credit  of 
your  manhood  is  at  stake  an'  you  decline  to  help 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  261 

us,  and  I  know  Beatrice  too  well  to  doubt  that  she 
will  bear  me  company,  and  go  I  will  round  and 
round  the  world  if  I  can  find  men  to  man  the 
ship." 

"  I  promise  you,  sweet  coz,  that  if  you  go  I  will 
bear  you  company,  and  I  will  answer  for  brother 
Hugh,"  said  Beatrice,  taking  her  friend's  hand.  "  I 
would,  however,  that  good  Master  John  Langton 
could  have  a  word  with  this  stranger ;  he  would 
understand  far  more  of  his  account  than,  with  our 
small  knowledge  of  sea  affairs,  we  can  do.  What 
is  thy  name,  friend  ?  We  will  ask  Captain  Lang- 
ton  to  come  up  to  the  hall  to  see  thee." 

The  seaman  looked  somewhat  puzzled  as  he 
replied  — 

"  I  am  known,  lady,  as  simple  Josiah  Weedon, 
and  I  will  gladly  talk  with  Master  Langton,  but  I 
have  an  aged  mother  and  sister,  and  a  wife  who 
was  sorely  displeased  at  my  leaving  her  before,  and 
I  doubt  that  she  will  let  me  quit  home  again  ;  yet 
to  please  two  such  sweet  ladies  as  you  are,  and  to 
bring  back  to  the  world  two  such  gallant  gentlemen 
as  Captain  Antony  Waymouth,  and  his  lieutenant 
Master  Edward  Raymond,  I  would  again  risk  the 
dangers  of  the  sea  and  part  from  my  loving  spouse, 
provided  we  were  simply  to  make  the  voyage  out 
and  home,  spending  some  fixed  time  in  the  search." 
"  Thanks,  Master  Weedon,  thanks ! "  exclaimed 
Constance  enthusiastically  ;  "  we  would  join  our 
prayers  with  yours  to  persuade  your  wife  to  let  you 
come,  if  that  would  avail." 


2G2  ANTOSY   WAYMOUTB;  Oil, 

"  My  better-half,  ladies,  is  one  woman  in  a  thou- 
sand. If  she  will,  she  will,  you  may  depend  on't ; 
if  she  won't,  she  won't,  and  there's  an  end  otr't.  I 
will  hie  me  home,  and  should  she  consent  I  will 
send  you  word ;  if  not,  you  will  know  that  I  am 
kept  bound  in  the  chains  of  matrimony." 

Suddenly  Hugh  recollected  that  probably  the 
stranger  was  hungry,  which  he  confessed  to  be  the 
case.  Refreshment  was  therefore  placed  for  him  in 
the  dining-hall,  to  which  he  set  himself  to  do  ample 
justice,  and  while  he  was  discussing  it  Beatrice 
sent  a  messenger  to  summon  Master  Langton.  The 
old  captain  soon  appeared.  His  astonishment  at 
hearing  the  account  given  by  Weedon  was  very 
great,  but  far  greater  was  it  on  hearing  of  the 
resolution  to  which  his  fair  friends  had  so  suddenly 
arrived.  He  knew  Constance  too  well  by  this  time 
to  attempt  to  combat  it.  Before  he  made  any 
remark,  however,  he  had  a  long  conversation  with 
the  stranger.  He  seemed  perfectly  satisfied  that 
he  was  honest  and  his  statements  true,  though  he 
doubted  much  the  likelihood  of  the  missing  ship 
being  found.  It  was  not  a  matter  to  be  settled  in  a 
hurry  ;  much  discussion  would  be  required,  and  he 
could  not  find  it  in  his  heart  to  oppose  the  scheme 
altogether. 

Pressed  by  Hugh,  Master  Weedon  gladly  con- 
sented to  remain  that  night  at  the  hall  to  rest,  and 
if  he  ate  and  drank  abundantly  he  deserved  his 
provender  in  return  for  the  way  he  plied  his  tongue 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVEyTUUERS.  263 

for  Hugh's  benefit.  Hugh  would  scarcely  have 
allowed  him  to  sleep  had  he  not  cried  out  that  his 
tongue  could  wag  no  more.  Next  morning,  while 
discussing  the  ale  and  beef  and  whcaten  bread 
placed  before  him  at  breakfast,  he  was  compelled  by 
the  young  man  to  begin  again,  and  before  he  was 
permitted  to  go  on  his  way  he  had  given  Hugh  a 
large  amount  of  information  about  those  eastern 
seas  and  strange  lands  among  which  he  had  so  long 
wandered.  The  ladies  had  filled  a  satchel  with 
good  food,  and  pressed  on  the  seaman  a  purse 
with  a  store  of  coin  to  enable  him  with  ease  to 
reach  his  journey's  end.  There  was  little  doubt 
that  the  subject  Would  be  discussed  by  the  two 
maidens  and  Hugh.  In  truth,  morning,  noon,  and 
even,  it  was  the  only  matter  about  which  they  could 
speak ;  even  Captain  Langton  caught  much  of 
their  enthusiasm.  Hugh  was  fully  as  warm  as  his 
sister  or  Constance.  Means  would  not  be  wanting 
between  them  to  fit  out  a  tall  ship  able  to  sail 
round  the  world.  John  Langton  must  be  cap- 
tain ;  they  would  take  no  refusal.  Master  Josiah 
Weedon  should  be  pilot  if  his  wife  would  let  him 
go,  and  if  not,  no  doubt  he  could  give  such  direc- 
tions to  Captain  Langton  as  would  enable  him  to 
sail  in  the  direction  they  desired,  where  they  might 
perchance  discover  the  Lion.  At  length  their 
importunity,  if  not  their  reasoning,  succeeded  in 
overcoming  all  Master  Langton's  scruples,  and  he 
consented   to  search  for  a  suitable  ship,  to  fit  her 


264  ASTONY  WAYMOLTEi   OR, 

out  and  store  her,  and  to  find  the  necessary  officers 
and  crew.  Not  many  days  had  elapsed,  and  just  as 
Captain  Langton  was  about  to  set  off  for  Plymouth, 
when  Josiah  Weedon  arrived  habited  exactly  as 
before. 

"  Fair  ladies,  Master  Hugh,  I  am  ready  to  sail 
with  you  to  any  part  of  the  world  you  may  desire," 
he  exclaimed  as  he  entered  the  house.  "  Things 
are  changed  since  I  left  home,  and  beshrew  me  I 
was  an  idiot  to  expect  it  to  be  otherwise.  My  good 
old  mother  is  in  her  grave ;  had  she  been  alive  I 
should  have  had  a  different  tale  to  tell.  My  sister 
is  married  and  gone  far  away  I  know  not  whither, 
and  my  wife,  why  she  has  gone  away  with  my  sister 
and  a  new  husband  of  her  own  into  the  bargain, 
and  not  a  soul  in  the  place  would  acknowledge  me. 
My  doublet  is  threadbare  and  tattered.  Josiah 
"Weedon  was  always  the  best-dressed  man  in  the 
village.  I  was  a  wretched  beggar.  Josiah  Weedon 
was  to  come  back  with  a  dozen  packhorses  laden 
with  gold  and  precious  stones.  Many  more  bitter 
remarks  were  made,  and  finally  I  was  kicked  out 
of  the  village  as  a  rogue  and  vagabond,  and  glad 
enough  to  hurry  back  that  I  may  lay  my  sword  and 
services  at  your  feet,  fair  ladies,  right  willing  to  do 
your  behests  in  any  way  you  may  command  me." 

The  young  people  did  not  doubt  the  truth  of  Mas- 
ter Weedon's  story,  and,  after  he  had  fed,  Hugh 
hurried  him  off  to  Captain  Langton  that  he  might 
accompany  him   the   next  morning   to  Plymouth. 


THE   GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  265 

While  the  captain  and  pilot  were  selecting  a  ship 
and  fitting  her  out,  Hugh,  with  his  sister  and  Con- 
stance, was  engaged  with  those  learned  in  the  law 
in  arranging  for  the  necessary  funds  and  the  dis- 
posal of.  their  estates,  should  they  not  live  to  return 
to  the  shores  of  Old  England.  Yet  so  sanguine  is 
youth  that  not  one  of  them  ever  for  a  moment 
believed  that  they  should  not  return  successful. 
Hugh  was  the  least  likely  to  be  disappointed ;  he 
would,  at  all  events,  see  much  of  the  world,  and 
would  meet  with  many  adventures.  He  forgot  that 
it  is  possible  to  meet  with  disagreeable  as  well  as 
agreeable  adventures. 

Before  long  Captain  Langton  wrote  word  that  he 
had  purchased  a  stout  ship,  which  Constance  insisted 
should  be  called  the  Esperanza,  or  Hope.  Captain 
Langton  was  well  known,  and  he  had  little  difficulty 
in  selecting  a  goodly  company,  especially  when  the 
object  of  the  voyage  was  understood.  Many  young 
gallants  offered  their  services  on  hearing  that  Mis- 
tress Beatrice  Willoughby  and  Mistress  Constance 
Raymond  were  themselves  going  on  it,  and  were 
much  disappointed  on  having  them  courteously  re- 
fused. Captain  Langton  selected  as  his  officers 
staid,  steady,  and'  trusty  men,  who  were  likely  to 
keep  one  object  in  view  —  their  duty  —  and  not '  to 
depart  from  it. 

The  tall  ship  Esperanza,  with  banners  and 
streamers  flying  and  the  white  canvas  spread  to  the 
breeze,  sailed  down  Plymouth  Sound  on  her  way  to 


266  ANTONY  WAY  MOUTH ;  OR. 

the  far-off  lands  of  the  East.  Never  ship  bare  richer 
freight,  for  never  sailed  over  the  salt  seas  two  fairer 
damsels  with  more  loving,  faithful  hearts.  Fair 
blew  the  breeze,  calm  was  the  sea,  just  rippled  by 
the  joyous  wind,  and  bright  the  sky  overhead. 
Even  John  Langton  caught  some  of  the  enthusiasm 
of  his  young  charges,  and  could  not  help  predicting 
a  favorable  termination  to  the  adventure.  Well 
was  the  good  ship  called  the  Esperanza,  for  all  on 
board  felt  hope  reigning  in  their  bosoms  except 
Master  Weedon,  the  pilot.  When  rallied  on  his 
gravity  he  replied  — 

"  I  prithee  do  not  ask  me  to  rejoice  at  the  pros- 
pect of  the  future  who  have  been  oft  so  cruelly 
deceived.  If  matters  turn  out  well,  good ;  it  will 
be  time  enough  to  rejoice  then ;  if  ill,  it  will  be  but 
as  I  expect.  I  shall  at  least  have  the  satisfaction 
of  knowing  that  I  have  not  laughed  in  vain. 
Meantime  I  will  do  my  duty,  and  guide  the  ship 
towards  those  regions  where  the  fair  dames  and 
their  brother  desire  to  proceed.  May  their  star  be 
a  happier  one  than  mine !  " 

This  was  the  usual  style  of  Weedon's  remarks. 
Inside  a  rough  shell  there  was  a  tender  heart, 
which  had  been  sorely  wounded  by  the  reception  he 
had  encountered  on  his  return  to  the  place  of  his 
birth. 

Hugh  Willoughby,  on  the  contrary,  was  full  of 
life  and  animation.  Every  thing  he  saw  was  new 
and   strange,   and   afforded    him    delight,   and   he 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  267 

looked  forward  without  doubt  to  the  complete  suc- 
cess of  their  enterprise.  The  ship  sailed  on  without 
interruption  till  the  burning  rays  of  the  sun,  which 
shone  down  on  the  deck,  making  the  pitch  to 
bubble  up  out  of  the  seams,  and  driving  the  ladies 
to  seek  the  shadow  of  the  sails,  warned  them  that 
they  were  already  in  southern  latitudes.  The  elder 
seamen  laughed  at  the  notion  of  the  weather  being 
hot. 

"Do  you  call  this  hot?"  said  Master  Weedon. 
"  Why,  good  friends,  we  were  wont  during  calms  in 
those  eastern  seas  to  cook  our  victuals  on  the  bare 
planks  or  on  a  sheet  of  tin  placed  on  the  deck.  I 
can  certify  that  we  shall  have  it  far  hotter  than 
this." 

The  breeze  still  held  fair,  though  coming  off  the 
land* of  Africa,  said  to  lie  some  twenty  leagues  away 
on  the  larboard  beam. 

"  A  sail !  a  sail !  "  was  shouted  by  the  seaman  on 
the  watch  in  the  top.  "To  the  eastward,  and 
seemingly  approaching  us,"  he  replied  to  the 
questions  put  to  him. 

Mariners  sailing  over  the  ocean  in  those  days  had 
to  be  on  their  guard  against  foes  in  every  direction. 
Every  preparation  was  made  to  give  the  stranger  a 
warm  reception  should  he  prove  an  enemy.  The 
heavy  guns  and  all  fire-arms  were  loaded ;  battle- 
axes,  pikes  were  got  up,  and  placed  with  slow 
matches  in  readiness  for  use  ;  swords  were  girded 
on,  and  the  deck  of  the  Esperanza  —  generally  so 


208  ANTOXY  WAYMOUTH;  OB, 

quiet  and  peaceful  —  assumed  a  thoroughly  warlike 
appearance. 

When  all  things  were  ready,  Hugh  approached 
the  kdies.  # 

"  Fair  friend  and  sweet  sister,  I  am  about  to 
exert  some  little  authority  over  you,"  he  said. 
"  Should  yonder  stranger  prove  to  be  a  foe,  you 
must  descend  into  the  hold,  where  you  will  be  free 
from  danger.  When  we  have  driven  off,  or  cap- 
tured, or  sunk  the  enemy,  we  will  summon  you 
from  your  prison-house  to  rejoice  with  us  in  our 
victory,  and  to  reward  those  who  have  exhibited 
most  valor  in  the  fight." 

To  this  arrangement  neither  Beatrice  nor  Con- 
stance showed  any  inclination  to  agree. 

"  But  suppose  one  of  the  foeman's  shot  was  to 
deprive  you  of  life,"  argued  Hugh.  "  In  battle, 
methinks,  bullets  pay  little  respect  to  persons." 

"  We  shall  but  die  in  the  performance  of  our  duty 
and  in  the  execution  of  our  mission,"  answered 
Constance. 

Hugh,  not  quite  comprehending  her  remark, 
observed  — 

"  Yes  ;  but  one  might  die,  and  one  might  escape 
—  and  alack  for  the  survivor  !  " 

Still  the  ladies  insisted  on  remaining. 

"  Take  your  will,  take  your  will,  fair  ladies.  I 
would  not  quarrel  with  you  at  such  a  time,"  he  said 
in  a  mournful  tone.  "  But  I  pray  that  neither  of 
you  may  be  killed,  though,  perchance,  a  bullet  may 


THE  GEXTLEMEX  ADVENTURERS.  269 

tear  open  that  fair  cheek,  or  a  splinter  may  deprive 
sweet  Beatrice  of  an  eye.  Although  I  doubt  not 
Edward's  love  would  stand  the  test,  it  would  be  a 
sorry  plight  in  which  to  greet  him  should  we  haply 
discover  the  land  where  the  Lion  is  cast  away." 

The  fair  damsels  looked  at  each  other. 

"  Brother  Hugh,  we  will  follow  your  counsel  and 
seek  shelter  in  the  hold,,  where  we  may  offer  up 
prayers  for  your  safety,"  said  Beatrice  humbly, 
Constance  signifying,  at  the  same  time,  t£iat  she 
agreed  with  her  friend. 

The  stranger  approached.  A  crescent  was  seen 
on  her  green  ensign.  She  was  undoubtedly  a  Sallee 
Rover.  They  were  in  the  latitude  where  those  vul- 
tures of  the  ocean  were  wont  to  cruise.  Hugh  hur- 
ried the  ladies  below.  The  ports  of  the  Esperanza 
were  closed,  and  many  of  the  crew  hidden  away 
under  the  bulwarks,  so  that  she  looked  but  little 
able  to  defend  herself.  Not  that  any  ship  in  those 
days  went  to  sea  unarmed  —  as  well  miglit  a  lamb 
attempt  to  sport  among  a  troop  of  hungry  lions. 
The  Sallee  Rover  approached,  with  her  infidel  ban- 
ners flying,  her  brazen  trumpets  braying,  and  her 
deck  covered  with  turbaned  swarthy  Moors,  expect- 
ing to  obtain  an  easy  victory. 

John  Langton  kept  his  good  ship  on  her  course 
without  replying.  He  well  knew  that,  should  vic- 
tory not  be  obtained,  the  alternative  must  be  death, 
or — worse  than  death  —  a  life-long  slavery.  Not  a 
man  on  board  but  resolved  to  triumph  or  to  go  down 


270  ANTONY   WAYMOUTII;   OR, 

fighting  for  his  own  sake,  but  much  more  for  the 
sake  of  the  fair  ladies  he  had  sworn  to  serve  and 
protect. 

Louder  blew  the  trumpets  of  the  Moors  as  their 
ship  came  within  shot  of  the  Esperanza.  Nearer 
and  nearer  they  drew.  Their  purpose,  it  seemed, 
was  to  run  the  English  ship  on  board,  and  to  over- 
come her  crew  by  superior  numbers.  Captain 
Langton  watched  for  the  best  moment  to  fire.  Al- 
ready the  dark-skinned  infidels  stood,  with  their 
cimeters  in  hand,  crowding  the  side,  and  some  in 
the  rigging,  ready  to  spring  on  board. 

"  Raise  the  ports,  and  give  it  them !  "  shouted  the 
brave  English  captain. 

His  gallant  crew  cheerfully  obeyed,  and  the  next 
instant  twenty  Moors  were  seen  struggling  or  dead, 
prostrate  on  the  deck  of  the  Rover,  which  made  a 
vain  attempt  to  haul  her  tack  aboard  and  sheer  off. 
Again  the  English  crew  loaded  their  guns  ready  to 
fire,  as  with  a  crash  she  ran  alongside.  This  time 
they  were  pointed  at  her  hull,  and  fearful  was  the 
execution  they  caused.  Many  of  the  Moors  endeav- 
ored to  spring  on  the  deck  of  the  Esperanza,  but 
they  were  driven  headlong  back  with  pikes  and  bat- 
tle-axes, too  late  to  regain  their  ship,  which  broke 
clear  of  the  Englishman,  and  they  fell  headloug 
into  the  sea.  Then  fearful  shrieks  arose  as  the  Es- 
peranza sailed  on  —  the  Sallee  Rover  was  sinking. 
Was  mercy  to  be  shown  to  those  who  never  showed 
it  to  others?     The  choice  was  not -allowed  them. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  271 

Before  the  canvas  could  be  taken  off  the  English 
ship,  the  Rover  had  sunk  beneath  the  sea,  and  not 
a  Moor  remained  struggling  on  the  surface. 

Beatrice  and  Constance,  finding  that  the  firing 
and  turmoil  of  battle  had  ceased,  entreated  that 
they  might  come  on  deck.  They  gazed  around  in 
astonishment  on  every  side  ;  no  foe  was  there  ;  and 
except  a  few  of  the  crew  with  limbs  bound  up,  and 
here  and  there  the  white  splinters  where  the  shot 
from  the  Rover  had  struck  the  bulwarks,  not  a 
vestige  of  the  fight  was  to  be  seen.  Even  then  the 
eyes  of  most  on  board  were  gazing  at  the  spot  where 
the  Rover  had  gone  down,  as  if  they  expected  to 
see  her  emerge  again  from  her  watery  grave.  The 
damsels  could  scarcely  believe  their  senses. 

"  Heaven  has  fought  for  us,"  said  Captain  Lang- 
ton.  "  We  did  our  duty,  but  no  power  of  ours 
could  have  accomplished  what  has  been  done.  I 
pray  that  it  may  prove  the  first  of  many  successes 
leading  to  that  which  may  crown  our  hopes." 

"I  pray  so  too,  kind  friend,"  answered  Beatrice, 
her  eyes  filling  with  tears  as  she  thought  of  the 
danger  from  which  they  had  been  preserved. 

Such  was  the  tone  of  feeling  of  the  voyagers  — 
ay,  and  of  many  of  the  boldest  adventurers  —  of 
those  days.  They  gave  Heaven  the  praise  for  all 
their  deliverances  and  successes,  and  threw  the 
blame  when  they  failed  on  their  own  folly  and  neg- 
lect. There  were  clear-sighted,  right-judging,  and 
truly  pious  men  in  those  days,  who  were  laying  the 


272  AXTOXY  WAY  MOUTH;  OR, 

foundation  of  England's  glory  and  power.  The  ago 
which  produced  a  Shakspeare  produced  many  other 
gigantic  intellects  and  true  men. 

The  Esperanza  sailed  on,  hope  swelling  the  hearts 
of  her  owners  and  a  fair  wind  her  canvas,  till  Afric's 
southern  cape,  known  by  the  name  she  bore,  that  of 
Bona  Esperanza,  appeared  in  sight. 

Master  Weedon  counselled  that  they  should  not 
enter  Table  Bay,  but  proceed  on  to  Saldanha  Bay 
as  more  convenient  for  watering,  and  where  they 
were  less  likely  to  receive  interruption.  As  they 
drew  near  two  tall  ships  were  seen  at  anchor. 
They  might  be  foes  more  likely  than  friends,  where 
foes  were  so  numerous  and  friends  so  few.  The 
captain  seemed  doubtful  whether  it  were  wise  to 
enter. 

"  We  may  fight  them  if  they  oppose  us,  and 
conquer  them  as  we  did  the  Rover,"  cried  Hugh. 
"  Maybe  when  they  know  our  errand,  whatever 
their  nation,  they  may  be  inclined  to  aid  us." 

Master  Weedon  seemed  rather  doubtful  of  this, 
but  Captain  Langton  sided  with  Hugh,  and.  the  Es- 
peranza was  accordingly  steered  towards  the  bay, 
running  up  a  white  flag  as  a  signal  of  truce  at  the 
fore.  It  was  well  that  this  precaution  was  taken, 
for  the  strangers  proved  to  be  two  Hollanders, 
always  jealous  of  the  English  who  appeared  in 
those  parts.  The  captains,  however,  when  they 
found  that  their  trade  was  not  to  be  interfered 
with,  and  that  there  were  two  fair  ladies  on  board 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  273 

the  Esperanza,  proved  themselves  to  be  honorable 
and  courteous  gentlemen.  They  begged  permission 
to  visit  the  English  ship,  and  offered  all  the  aid  in 
their  power  to  forward  the  object  of  the  adventu- 
rers. 

This  aid  was  gratefully  accepted,  and  picked  men 
from  their  crews  being  sent  by  them  the  rigging  of 
the  Esperanza  was  quickly  set  up,  and  other  repairs 
effected,  and  wood  and  water  got  on  board,  so  that 
she  was  able  to  sail  to  the  east  in  their  company. 
Scarcely  were  the  three  ships  out  of  sight  of  land 
when  several  sail  were  espied  coming  from  the  west. 
The  Hollanders  hailed  to  notify  that  they  must  be 
part  of  a  Portugal  fleet  which  they  had  reason  to 
expect  ere  long  in  those  seas.  Should  the  Portu- 
gal espy  them  they  would  assuredly  make  chase  and 
not  spare  either  ships  or  crews  should  they  come 
off  victorious.  As  more  strange  ships  were  seen 
coming  up,  flight  was  their  only  prudent  course. 
All  sail  was  made,  accordingly,  to  escape.  The 
strangers  had  espied  them,  for  they  also  crowded 
on  canvas  in  pursuit.  Captain  Langton  informed 
the  Hollanders  that  no  English  fleet  had  of  late 
sailed  with  so  many  ships  as  now  appeared. 

"  Then  they  are  Portugals,  and  we  must  escape 
them  if  we  value  our  lives  or  liberty,"  was  the  an- 
swer. 

Though  the  Hollanders  were  stout  ships,  yet  the 
Portugals  had  faster  keels,  it  seemed,  for  in  spite  of 
the  wide  spread  of  canvas  set  by  the  former  they 

18 


274  AXTONY   WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

gained  rapidly  on  them.  The  Esperanza  might  have 
gone  far  ahead  ;  and  though  the  Hollanders  hailed 
and  begged  Captain  Langton  so  to  do,  he  replied  that 
it  went  against  his  stomach  to  do  such  an  act  —  to 
desert  those  who  had  befriended  him.  Hugh  ap- 
plauded his  resolution,  and  Beatrice  and  Constance 
agreed  with  him.  The  Esperanza  therefore  short- 
ened sail  that  she  might  not  run  away  from  her 
heavier-sailing  consorts.  They  insisted,  however, 
that  she  should  keep  a  short  distance  ahead,  that 
they  might  bear  the  first  onslaught. 

Theresas  ample  time  to  make  every  preparation 
for  the  fight,  and  the  shades  of  evening  were  coming 
on  before  the  leading  ships  of  the  Portugals  got  up 
with  the  stout  Hollanders.  It  was  now  to  be  seen 
whether  to  sail  fast  or  to  fight  stoutly  were  of  most 
avail.  So  fiercely  did  the  Hollanders  receive  their 
assailants  that  the  first  three  of  them  dropped  astern 
in  confusion  ;  others  coming  up  were  treated  in 
the  same  manner.  Hugh  was  so  delighted  with  the 
bravery  of  the  Hollanders  that  he  begged  Captain 
Langton  to  drop  astern  into  the  fight. 

"  No,  no,  the  post  of  honor  is  the  station  assigned 
to  them,"  answered  the  captain.  "  Should  any  of  the 
Portugals  pass  our  friends  it  will  then  be  our  duty 
to  fight  them.  Let  us  not  wish  to  deprive  the  brave 
Hollanders  of  the  glory  they  are  winning  for  them- 
selves." 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  275 


CHAPTER    XII. 

The  Hollanders  sailed  steadily  on :  the  wind 
freshened.  Still  more  of  the  Portugal  ships  were 
coming  up :  the  three  friends  held  steadily  on  their 
way.  The  Hollanders  sent  heavy  shot  from  their 
sterns,  sorely  discomposing  their  pursuers.  The 
wind,  too,  was  increasing,  and  clouds  were  gather- 
ing, and  darkness  coming  on.  It  was  clear  that  the 
Portugals  were  being  drawn  away  from  their  intend- 
ed port.  This  encouraged  the  Hollanders  to  hold 
out ;  yet  they  contended  against  fearful  odds.  Now 
the  whole  Portugal  fleet,  crowding  on  still  more  sail, 
pressed  up  to  overwhelm  them.  It  would  have  been 
wiser  of  the  said  Portugals  had  they  allowed  their 
expected  prey  to  pass  on  their  way  unmolested.  A 
terrific  blast  struck  their  ships,  rending  sails  and 
snapping  spars  and  topmasts  in  every  direction,  and 
throwing  the  whole  fleet  into  confusion  ;  while  the 
stout  Hollanders,  with  their  stronger  canvas,  glided 
calmly  on,  uninjured  by  the  gale,  though  sorely  bat- 
tered by  the  shot  of  the  enemy.  Darkness  speedily 
came  on,  and  shut  out  their  foes  from  their  sight. 
When  morning  broke,  not  an  enemy's  ship  was  to  be 
seen.  Captain  Langton  hailed  the  Hollanders  grate- 
fully to  acknowledge,  the  gallant  protection  they  had 


276  ANTONY   WAYMOUTH;   OH,. 

afforded  the  Esperanza ;  whereon  the  two  captains 
appeared,  and,  waving  their  hats,  assured  him  that  it 
was  their  delight  and  pleasure  to  serve  ladies  as  fair 
and  excellent  as  those  who  sailed  on  board  her.  The 
heavy  sea  running  prevented  any  further  .commu- 
nication for  some  days.  Thus  escorted,  the  Espe- 
ranza sailed  on  towards  Batavia ;  whence  it  was  pro- 
posed that  she  should  take  fresh  departure  towards 
the  little-known  seas  to  the  east,  whither  the  Lion 
had  been  seen  driving.  Space  will  not  allow  an  ac- 
count of  all  the  attentions  paid  to  Beatrice  and 
Constance  at  Batavia,  and  the  magnificent  fete 
which  the  governor  gave  in  their  honor ;  for,  even  in 
those  good  old  days,  fair  ladies  were  not  often  found 
sailing  round  the  world  in  search  of  lost  lovers  and 
■M*others,  albeit  the  so  doing  was  a  most  praiseworthy 
and  commendable  act.  Certes,  few  damsels  would 
be  so  confident  as  were  these  two  heroines,  that, 
should  they  succeed  in  their  search,  the  brothers  or 
lovers  would  be  ready  to  exhibit  that  amount  of 
gratitude  which  Beatrice  and  Constance  looked  for 
as  their  reward.  It  was  reported  that  Constance, 
who  war  ';..o ah  only  to  be  looking  for  her  brother, 
received  and  refused  .uncounted  offers  of  marriage 
from  the  governor,  as  well  as  from  all  the  chief  un- 
married officers  of  the  colony  who  could  aspire  to 
that  honor,  and  that  she  was  entreated  to  reconsider 
the  subject,  and  to  return  to  their  fair  port ;  while 
Beatrice  was  assured,  with  all  the  delicacy  of  which 
the  mind  and  language  of  a  ^o^anaer  is  capable, 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  ■  277 

that,  should  she  not  succeed  in  her  search,  it  would 
be  entirely  her  own  fault  should  she  remain  long  in 
single  blessedness. 

Happily,  the  sickly  season  had  not  commenced  at 
Batavia  before  the  Esperanza  was  once  more  ready 
for  sea ;  and  thus  the  adventurers  escaped  the  fate 
which  has  overtaken  so  many  voyagers  who  have 
visited  those  sickness-causing  shores.  The  governor 
and  all  the  chief  officers  accompanied  the  ladies  to 
their  boat ;  the  whole  population  gathered  to  see 
them  embark ;  handkerchiefs  waved,  shouts  arose, 
prayers  for  their  safety  were  uttered  ;  and  the  guns 
from  the  forts  and  all  the  shipping  in  the  harbor 
fired  as  the  anchor  of  the  Esperanza  was  won  from 
its  oozy  bed,  and,  the  sails  being  spread,  she  glided 
forth  on  her  perilous  way. 

It  was  reported  that  the  governor  and  several  of 
his  officers  shed  tears  as  they  thought  of  all  the 
numberless  dangers  to  which  those  fair  dames  would 
be  exposed ;  but  on  that  point  the  author  of  this 
faithful  chronicle  feels  some  doubt,  for  reasons  which 
he  docs  not  consider  right  to  disclose. 

The  fair  damsels  themselves  felt  few  alarms  or 
doubts  :  they  were  grateful  for  all  the  kindness  they 
had  received,  and  still  more  thankful  that  they  had 
escaped  from  the  place,  and  were  once  more  on  the 
free  ocean.  They  had  no  longer  cause  to  dread  in- 
terruption from  Portugals  or  from  the  ships  of  other 
civilized  nations.  The  Governor  of  Batavia  had 
given  them  letters  charging  all  true  Hollanders  to 


278  ANTONY  WAY  MOUTH;   OR, 

render  them  every  assistance  in  their  power,  and 
they  hoped  by  watchfulness  and  prudence  to  escape 
from  the  hands  of  the  savage  people  inhabiting  the 
countries  towards  which  they  were  sailing.  They 
were  well  supplied  with  provisions  and  ammunition, 
and  hoped  that  they  might  be  delayed  in  no  place, 
except  to  make  the  necessary  inquiries  for  the  Lion, 
and  to  take  in  water  and  wood  ;  for,  albeit  heroines 
are  described  in  romances  as  performing  long  jour- 
neys without  food  or  shelter,  ships  cannot  sail  over 
the  ocean  without  stopping  to  take  in  fresh  supplies 
of  water  that  their  crews  may  drink,  and  wood  with 
which  to  cook  their  victuals. 

As  yet,  not  a  word  respecting  the  Lion  or  her  pos- 
sible fate  had  they  heard.  Still  their  spirits  did  not 
flag  while  they  approached  the  spot  where  Master 
Weedou  had  last  beheld  her.  Seamen  were  sta- 
tioned in  the  tops  to  keep  a  lookout  for  any  strange 
sail,  or  for  islands  where  the  information  they  sought 
might  be  obtained.  Again  want  of  space  prevents 
a  description  of  the  many  places  at  which  they 
touched,  and  the  strange  people  they  beheld.  The 
Esperanza  held  her  course  to  the  east,  skilfully  nav- 
igated, and  escaping  many  dangers.  Right  well  and 
faithfully  did  Master  Weedon  fulfil  his  engagement : 
he  pointed  out  the  very  reef  within  which  the  Hol- 
lander had  taken  shelter  when  he  had  seen  the  Lion 
drive  by. 

"  Henceforward,"  he  concluded,  "  I  will  submit 
to  the  superior  knowledge  of  Captain  Langton  in 
the  guidance  of  our  good  ship." 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  279 

Due  east  the  Esperanza  now  sailed.  Mariners  in 
those  days  troubled  not  their  heads  about  circular 
storms  or  any  such  theories ;  and  therefore  it  was 
concluded,  that  if  a  gale  was  blowing  from  the  west, 
before  which  the  Lion  was  driven,  she  most  assuredly 
would  be  found  to  the  east.  Now  on  one  hand,  now 
on  the  other,  islands  were  espied  and  visited ;  but 
no  information  was  obtained.  Either  .there  were  no 
natives,  or  they  fled  at  the  approach  of  the  strange 
ship ;  or,  when  natives  were  found,  no  means  ex- 
isted of  exchanging  ideas  between  the  voyagers  and 
them. 

At  length  an  isle  appeared  ahead  ;  its  mountains, 
as  first  seen,  scarcely  to  be  distinguished  from  the 
sky,  as  they  rose  out  of  the  blue  ocean,  now  growing 
more  and  more  distinct,  till  they  assumed  new  and 
picturesque  forms,  some  exhibiting  dark  and  rugged 
rocks,  lofty  precipices,  towering  pinnacles,  or  round- 
ed and  gentle  slopes  covered  with  umbrageous 
groves.  Here  bays  or  inlets  were  seen,  and  green 
valleys  and  dark  ravines  extending  far  inland.  A 
reef  appeared,  extending  partly  round  the  island, 
with  openings  in  it  through  which  the  ship  might 
sail,  and  find  a  secure  anchorage  within.  No  dan- 
gers appeared  ahead  ;  and,  skilfully  piloted,  the  Es- 
peranza came  to  an  anchor.  Captain  Langton, 
however,  like  a  wise  leader,  observed  carefully  how 
he  might  speedily  again  get  to  sea  should  circum- 
stances require  it.  Words  would  fail  to  describe 
the  beauty  of  the  island  to  which  the  adventurers 


280  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

had  come, —  the  brightness  of  the  atmosphere,  the 
purity  of  the  air,  the  sparkling  waterfalls,  the  yellow 
sand,  the  tall  palm-trees,  the  gorgeous  flowers,  the 
groves,  the  valleys,  and  the  mountains  before  men- 
tioned. There  were  natives ;  for  their  habitations 
of  considerable  size  and  varied  form  were  perceived 
amid  the  trees.  Before  long,  some  were  seen  com- 
ing off  in  canoes  ;  but  it  seemed  that  the  ship  was 
a  strange  thing  to  them,  for  none  of  them  dared 
approach  her.  As  observed  at  a  distance,  they  were 
dark-skinned  men,  tall  of  figure,  with  much  rude 
ornament,  and  their  hair  curiously  dressed  out  in 
various  forms.  Still  it  was  possible  that  they  might 
be  mild  and  gentle  of  disposition  ;  and  as  the  adven- 
turers were  anxious  to  hold  communication  with 
them,  Master  Weedon  offered  to  visit  the  shore,  and, 
presenting  trinkets  and  such-like  things  which  had 
been  brought  for  the  purpose,  invite  them  on  board. 
It  was  with  no  small  amount  of  anxiety  that  he 
was  watched,  as,  with  four  men  in  his  boat,  he  ap- 
proached the  beach.  No  one  drew  nearer  till  he 
had  landed:  when,  taking  the  treasures  he  had 
brought  from  the  boat,  he  held  them  up,  first  to- 
wards one  canoe,  then  towards  another ;  and  then  he 
placed  them  on  the  sand,  and  returned  to  his  boat. 
Thus  tempted,  the  savages  landed,  and  quickly 
made  their  way  towards  the  articles  on  the  beach. 
They  were  soon  seized  on  and  examined ;  and  in  a 
brief  space  of  time  afterwards  the  savages  seemed 
as  ready  to  go  on  board  the  ship  as  they  before 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  281 

seemed  desirous  of  keeping  away  from  her.  Before 
long,  canoes  appeared  from  many  other  quarters. 
Captain  Langton,  observing  this,  considered  a  while, 
and  then  called  Hugh  to  him. 

"  There  is  a  saying,  Master  Hugh,  that  we  should 
look  upon  all  men  as  honest  till  we  find  them  rogues ; 
but  methinks  it  were  safer  in  these  regions  to  con- 
sider all  rogues  till  we  find  from  long  experience 
that  they  are  honest,"  he  observed.  •"  Now,  I  sus- 
pect, from  the  way  these  people  at  first  avoided  us, 
they  had  some  reason  to  believe  we  would  do  them 
harm;  but  that,  seeing  that  such  is  not  our  thought, 
they  now  come  without  fear  of  us.  From  this  I 
argue  that  some  other  ship  has  been  here,  to  whose 
company  they  gave  cause  of  offence ;  and  they  might 
suppose  that  our  ship  is  the  same,  or  that  we  have 
come  to  avenge  the  injury  they  may  have  done  our 
friends.  We  will  not  say  this  to  the  ladies,  lest  it 
alarm  them  without  cause ;  but  we  will  take  due 
precautions  against  treachery,  of  which  they  are 
assuredly  capable,  or  their  looks  belie  them." 

Hugh  fully  agreed  with  Captain  Langton  in  his 
opinion,  and  Master  Weedon  and  the  other  officers 
of  the  ship  were  warned  to  be  on  their  guard. 
Many  of  the  savages  had  by  this  time  collected 
round  the  ship,  and  a  few  chiefs  and  others  came 
on  board.  Beatrice  and  Constance  had  retired  to 
their  cabin ;  for  they  neither  liked  the  appearance  of 
the  savages,  nor  desired  to  be  seen  of  them.  They 
looked  curiously  at  every  thing  on  board,  especially 


282  AXTONY  WAY  MOUTH ;   OR, 

at  the  guns,  of  the  use  of  which  they  clearly  had 
some  idea.  As  evening  drew  on,  they  took  their 
departure,  seemingly  on  excellent  terms  with  their 
white  visitors.  The  seamen  began  to  consider  them 
very  well-behaved  savages  ;  but  Captain  Langton 
warned  them  not  to  trust  to  appearances,  nor  would 
he  allow  any  of  the  crew  to  visit  the  shore. 

The  next  day,  some  large  canoes  came  sailing  up 
from  other  parts  of  the  coast,  and  many  more  sav- 
ages assembled  round  the  ship.  Nearly  half  the 
ship's  company  had  been  below,  either  asleep  or 
engaged  in  various  occupations,  when  the  savages 
were  on  board  the  first  day.  Captain  Langton, 
remembering  this,  determined  to  keep  half  the 
people  concealed,  and  at  the  same  time  well  armed, 
while  those  on  deck  also  were  armed ;  the  guns, 
were  loaded,  the  slow  matches  ready,  the  cable  was 
hove  short,  and  the  sails  loosed. 

"  Maybe  the  savages  mean  us  well,  and  these 
precautions  may  prove  not  to  have  been  necessary," 
he  observed  to  Hugh,  who  seemed  to  think  that  he 
was  over-careful ;  "  but  suppose  they  mean  us  ill, 
and  purpose  suddenly  setting  on  us,  we  shall  have 
cause  to  be  thankful  that  we  took  them.  I  know 
what  savages  are ;  and  I  need  not  tell  thee,  if  they 
were  to  succeed,  what  wpuld  be  the  fate  of  those  you 
love  best,  and  of  all  on  board.  I  like  not  the  looks 
of  these  gentry ;  though,  for  naked  savages,  their 
manners  are  wondrously  courteous." 

Hugh  could  not  but  agree  that  his  friend  was 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  283 

right ;  though  it  was  tantalizing  not  to  be  allowed  to 
wander  along  that  glittering  strand,  or  through 
those  shady  groves,  or  to  climb  those  picturesque 
hills  he  gazed  at  with  so  much  admiration.  Water 
and  fuel  were,  however,  to  be  got  off,  and,  if 
possible,  vegetables :  as  to  meat,  as  no  animals 
were  seen,  it  was  concluded  that  none  was  to  be 
obtained.  Three  or  four  chiefs  and  about  a  dozen 
followers  were  allowed  on  board,  and  to  them  was 
explained  by  signs  what  was  required.  The  chiefs 
quickly  understood,  and,  after  talking  some  time 
together,  ordered  away  ten  of  the  canoes  to  the 
shore ;  still  leaving,  however,  the  same  number 
alongside,  full  of  men  armed  with  clubs  and  spears. 
They  themselves,  however,  showed  no  inclination  to 
quit  the  ship,  but  rather  to  remain  to  acquaint 
themselves  with  every  thing  about  her.  They  seemed 
much  disconcerted  at  not  being  allowed  to  go  below ; 
and  for  some  time  sat  moodily  on  the  deck,  address- 
ing no  one.  When,  however,  the  canoes  were  seen 
coming  off,  they  again  rose  to  their  feet,  and  their 
animation  returned  :  but,  instead  of  ten,  there  were 
now  thirty  canoes  ;  ten  appeared  to  be  laden  with 
calabashes  of  water,  ten  with  wood  chopped  fit  for 
burning,  and  ten  with  roots  and  vegetables. 

"  Surely  these  people  mean  us  no  ill,  or  they 
would  not  thus  attend  to  our  wants,"  cried  Hugh, 
who  had  from  the  first  been  unwilling  to  mistrust 
them. 

"  Wait  till  we  see  how  they  proceed,"  answered 
Captain  Langton. 


284  AXTONT  WAYMOUTH;   OR, 

The  savages  now  thronged  more  thickly  than 
ever  round  the  ship.  Many  sprang  on  board,  and 
they  began  to  hand  up  the  calabashes  and  wood ; 
but  Hugh  observed,  on  looking  down  over  the  side, 
that  there  was  no  large  quantity  of  either  wood  or 
water,  and  that  many  more  people  had  come  on 
board  than  were  necessary  to  perform  the  work. 
The  seamen  had  rolled  some  casks  up  to  the  side, 
that  the  water  might  be  emptied  into  them ;  so  that, 
for  that  purpose,  no  one  need  have  come  on  deck. 
The  savages,  too,  began  to  mingle  among  the  crew  ; 
and  Captain  Langton  observed  that  three  or  four 
attached  themselves  especially  to  each  seaman,  and 
at  the  same  time  that  more  canoes  were  coming  off 
from  the  shore.  Matters  had  already  proceeded  far 
enough.  Ordering  his  men  to  be  on  their  guard,  and 
to  separate  themselves  from  the  savages,  he  signified 
to  the  chiefs  that  he  was  ready  to  pay  them  with  the 
articles  he  had  promised,  but  that  their  countrymen 
must  leave  the  ship.  The  chiefs  gazed  around  : 
there  were  at  least  four  savages,  to  one  Englishman 
on  board,  and  ten  times  as  many  around  the  ship. 
A  signal  was  made,  and  in  an  instant  each  black 
man  raised  his  club  to  strike  a  sailor. 

"Hugh,  beware!"  cried  Captain  Langton,  pre- 
senting his  pistol  at  the  breast  of  a  chief  whose  club 
was  about  to  dash  out  young  Willoughby's  brains. 

Hugh  sprang  aside  ;  the  savage  fell,  whirling  his 
club  in  the  air.  The  seamen,  mostly  on  the  watch, 
avoided  the  blows  of  the  savages,  returning  them 


THE  GENTLEMEN  AD  VENTURERS.  285 

with  interest  with  their  sharp  hangers  or  battle-axes. 
The  report  of  the  captain's  pistol  was  the  signal  for 
those  below  to  appear.  Up  through  the  hatches 
they  sprang,  shooting,  cutting  down,  and  driving 
before  them,  the  treacherous  blacks.  They  quickly 
fought  their  way  up  to  the  guns,  one  of  which,  dis- 
charged, made  the  natives  in  the  canoes  paddle  off 
in  terror  towards  the  shore.  Not  so  the  chiefs. 
Two  seamen  lay  stretched  lifeless  on  the  deck  from 
the  blows  of  their  clubs ;  others  were  wounded. 
They  themselves  stood  whirling  their  heavy  weapons 
around  them.  A  shot  laid  one  low ;  another,  the 
youngest,  driven  to  the  bulwarks,  having  hurled  his 
club  at  his  foes,  sprang  overboard,  and  attempted 
to  reach  the  canoes  by  swimming ;  while  a  third, 
fighting  to  the  last,  was  cut  down  by  Master 
Weedon's  hanger.  A  few  of  the  canoes  were  struck 
by  the  shots  ;  but  the  greater  number  escaped  unhurt 
to  the  shore. 

While  the  guns  were  still  firing,  Beatrice  and  Con- 
stance appeared  on  deck,  and  entreated  that  the  sav- 
ages might  be  spared.  Although  Captain  Langton 
and  Master  Weedon  considered  such  leniency  ill  be- 
stowed, they  obeyed  the  wishes  of  the  fair  ladies  they 
served. 

The  nature  of  these  savages  was,  however,  before 
long,  proved.  Not  many  hours  had  passed  when 
warlike  sounds  of  horns  and  drums,  with  shrieks 
and  cries,  were  heard;  and  round  a  point  were  seen 
coming  towards  the  ship  a  fleet  of  large  canoes,  each 


286  AXTONY   WAY  MOUTH  i   OR, 

like  two  vessels  joined  together  with  one  mast  and 
huge  sail.  Five,  ten,  nearly  twenty,  were  counted. 
Nearly  a  hundred  men  were  on  board  each ;  and,  by 
their  fierce  and  frantic  gestures,  there  could  be  no 
doubt  what  were  their  intentions.  It  was  possible 
that  the  guns  of  the  Esperanza  might  have  destroyed 
many  of  them,  if  not  the  whole :  but  such  a  wise 
commander  as  Captain  Langton  considered  that 
nothing  would  be  gained  by  remaining,  and  much 
might  be  lost ;  and,  as  the  wind  was  fair  to  pass 
through  the  nearest  passage  in  the  reef,  he  ordered 
the  anchor  to  be  tripped,  the  sails  to  be  sheeted 
home ;  and,  before  the  canoes  got  near,  the  Espe- 
ranza, under  all  sail,  was  standing  out  to  sea. 

"  Once  on  the  open  ocean,  with  a  fair  breeze,  I  care 
not  how  many  of  those  savages  come  round  us," 
cried  the  captain,  as  he  guided  the  ship  towards  the 
passage  in  the  reef. 

Every  man  was  at  his  station  to  trim  the  sails ;  for, 
should  the  fickle  wind  change  or  fall,  the  Esperanza 
might  be  cast  helplessly  on  the  rugged  mass  of  coral 
near  which  she  was  passing.  The  savages  showed 
that  they  had  no  intention  of  abandoning  their  prey, 
while  stronger  proof  was  given  of  Captain  Langton's 
wisdom  in  being  cautious  of  them.  The  rocks,  over 
which  the  water  formed  and  leaped,  were  on  every 
side. 

The  Esperanza  glided  on.  It  seemed  that  a  per- 
son might  spring  from  her  yard-arms  to  the  rocks. 
It  was  here  the  savages  must  have  hoped  to  overtake 


THE   GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  287 

I 

her.  They  were  close  astern,  and  the  warriors  on  their 
decks  even  now  began  to  cast  their'  darts  towards 
the  ship.  Had  there  been  but  a  few  minutes'  delay 
in  getting  under  way,  they  would  have  come 
alongside  at  a  moment  most  perilous  to  the  safety 
of  the  ship.  A  loud  cheer  burst  from  the  lips  of 
the  British  seamen  as  they  found  themselves  once 
more  on  the  open  ocean.  Still  their  persevering  foes 
came  on.  By  their  numbers  alone,  should  they  once 
succeed  in  getting  alongside,  they  might  gain  the 
victory.  ■  The  after-guns  were  pointed  towards  the 
headmost  canoes  ;  but  though  struck  by  the  shot, 
and  though  several  of  their  warriors  were  killed, 
they  yet  came  on.  So  rapidly,  too,  did  they  glide 
over  the  water,  that  many  of  them  ranged  up  on 
either  side.  Little  could  they,  however,  have  ex- 
pected the  shower  of  shot  and  bullets  which  crashed 
down  upon  them,  tearing  open  the  sides  of  their  frail 
vessels,  rending  their  sails,  shattering  the  masts, 
and  sweeping  the  warriors  off  their  decks.  It  would 
have  been  scant  mercy  to  themselves  had  the  ad- 
venturers shown  mercy.  Some  of  the  canoes  got 
alongside ;  and  the  enraged  savages,  attempting  to 
climb  up,  were  driven  back  with  pike  and  pistol 
and  battle-axe,  while  the  big  guns,  playing  down  on 
them,  tore  open  the  sides  of  their  canoes,  and  sent 
the*n  to  the  bottom,  leaving  those  on  board  to  swim 
for  their  lives.  Soon  the  whole  sea  astern  of  the 
ship  was  alive  with  the  forms  of  the  savages  as  they 
swam  on,  either  to  reach  the  canoes  of  their  friends 


288  AXTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

or  to  gain  the  shore.  The  breeze  increased.  The 
Esperanza  rushed  through  the  water.  In  vain  the 
savages  attempted  to  get  on  board :  numbers  had 
been  slain,  half  their  finest  canoes  had  been  sunk  or 
disabled.  With  gratitude  and  rejoicing  the  adventu- 
rers saw  the  remainder,  suddenly  altering  their 
sails,  dash  towards  the  shore. 

On  this  one  occasion,  not  an  Englishman  had  been 
wounded.  They  waited  till  they  had  got  far  out  to 
sea  before  they  committed  to  the  deep  the  bodies  of 
their  poor  shipmates  killed  in  the  morning.  The 
breeze  which  had  enabled  them  to  escape  from  the 
savages  increased  rapidly  to  a  gale,  and  the  gale  to 
a  fearful  storm.  They  would  thankfully  have  been 
within  the  shelter  of  some  friendly  port.  Dangers 
seemed  thickening  around  them.  On  drove  the 
ship ;  the  wild  seas  reared  their  foaming  heads  on 
either  side,  the  wind  howled  and  whistled  through 
the  rigging,  the  thunder  roared,  the  lightning  flashed. 
Darkness  came  on  ;  but  still  the  helpless  ship  drove 
before  the  tempest. 

Brave  Hugh  remembered  whose  son  he  was,  and 
never  lost  heart.  He  went  into  the  cabin,  where  his 
sister  and  Constance  were  seated,  —  their  hands 
clasped  together,  —  for  the  purpose  of  encouraging 
them;  for  the  way  in  which  the  stout  ship  rolled  and 
pitched  and  tumbled  about,  the  timbers  and  bulk- 
heads groaned  and  creaked,  the  water  washed  over- 
head, combined  with  the  sounds  before  described 
and  the  shouts  of  the  seamen,  made  him  conclude 
that  they  would  be  overcome  with  terror. 


THE   GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  289 

"  Why  should  we  be  alarmed  ?"  asked  Beatrice, 
looking  up.  "  We  have  been  protected  hitherto : 
why  not  to  the  end  ?  We  calculated  the  risks  we 
were  to  run  before  we  embarked :  we  are  prepared 
for  all  the  dangers  we  may  have  to  encounter." 

"  Brave  sister  ! "  cried  Hugh  as  he  left  the  cabin 
to  return  to  his  duty  on  deck.  "  I  pray  that  Ed- 
ward, for  whom  you  have  sacrificed  so  much,  may 
prove  worthy  of  you,  should  we  succeed  in  finding 
him." 

All  night  long  the  ship  drove  on  before  the  gale. 
No  object  even  a  cable's  length  ahead  could  have 
been  discerned,  except  when  the  bright  flashes  of 
lightning,  darting  from  the  inky  clouds,  played  over 
the  foam-crests  of  the  heavy  seas.  Who  could  tell 
at  'What  moment  the  good  ship  might  be  cast  on 
some  coral  reef  or  on  some  desert  shore,  and  be 
dashed  to  fragments  ?  What  prospect  that  the  life 
of  any  one  of  them  would  be  saved  ?  or  if  by  any  un- 
expected means  their  lives  should  be  preserved, 
that  they  should  escape  from  falling  into  the  power 
of  savages  such  as  those  whom  they  had  lately  en- 
countered? 

Dawn  approached.  With  daylight,  dangers  might 
be  seen,  and  perchance  avoided.  The  spirits  of  all 
rose.  Those  on  the  watch  ahead  looked  out  eagerly 
for  the  first  faint  streaks  of  light  in  the  eastern  sky. 
Suddenly  a  cry  arose,  —  a  fearful  cry  to  those  who 
knew  its  import,  — 

"  Land  ahead !    Breakers  ahead !  " 

19 


290  ANTONY  WAYMOUTHi  OR, 

"  Down  with  the  helm !  Haul  the  starboard 
tacks  aboard,  the  sheets  well  aft ! "  cried  Captain 
Langton  in  a  tone  which  showed  no  sign  of  trepida- 
tion. "  We  may  yet  weather  yonder  reef,  if  the 
mast  proves  faithful.    Courage,  friends;  courage!" 

Each  order  was  promptly  obeyed.  The  ship 
heeled  over  to  the  blast,  staggering  through  the 
seas.  The  reef  might  be  avoided  ;  but  there  was  a 
point  beyond  that  it  seemed  impossible  to  weather. 
Captain  Langton  shook  his  head. 

11  Heaven  may  preserve  our  lives,  but  the  fate  of 
the  good  ship  is  sealed,"  he  answered  to  Hugh's  in- 
quiries. "  Be  prepared  to  bring  your  sweet  sister 
and  Mistress  Raymond  on  deck.  Assure  them  that 
each  man  on  board  will  cheerfully  yield  up  his  own 
life  so  that  theirs  may  be  preserved." 

Hugh  entered  the  cabin.  In  a  short  time  he  re- 
turned, conducting  the  two  fair  girls.  They  gazed 
around,  not  without  terror;  and  yet  they  retained  a 
calmness  and  self-possession  which  many  of  the  other 
sex  might  have  envied.  On  one*  side  was  the  raging 
sea,  on  the  other  a  smiling  island ;  but  dark  rocks, 
the  dread  of  mariners,  intervened. 

"  Heaven  will  assuredly  hear  our  prayer,  and 
cause  the  wild  waves  to  take  us,  rather  than  that  we 
should  fall  into  the  hands  of  savages  such  as  those 
from  whom  we  have  just  escaped,"  said  Beatrice  in 
answer  to  a  remark  of  her  friend. 

"  Yet  there  are  savages.  Even  now  I  see  a  nu- 
merous band  moving  along  the  shore  !"  exclaimed 
Constance. 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTUliERS.  291 

"  Still  be  of  courage,  sweet  sister.  The  ship  may- 
hold  together;  and  we  have  arms  with  which  to 
fight,  and  brave  men  to  use  them." 

The  seamen,  though  striving  to  the  utmost,  knew 
that  the  unavoidable  catastrophe  was  approaching. 
Already  the  ship  was  embayed,  and  the  captain  was 
looking  out  for  some  spot  where  she  might,  with  the 
best  chance  of  preserving  their  lives,  be  allowed  to 
drive  on  shore,  should  the  last  resource  fail.  The 
anchors  had  been  got  ready  to  let  go.  Trusty  sea- 
men stood  with  gleaming  axes  to  cut  away  the 
masts.  Hugh  hurried  his  charges  under  shelter; 
for  Captain  Langton's  uplifted  hand  showed  what 
was  about  to  occur.  The  shrouds  were  severed, 
the  axes  struck  the  tall  masts,  and  one  by  one  they 
fell  into  the  raging  sea.  One  anchor  was  let  go, 
and  speedily  another. 

"  Do  the  anchors  hold  ?  "  was  the  cry. 

"  Ay,  ay,"  was  the  answer.  "  The  ship  no  longer 
drives ;  the  wind  is  falling ;  the  sea  breaks  here 
with  far  less  force  than  farther  out.  Heaven  be 
praised !     Even  now  the  ship  may  be  saved  !  " 

Such  were  the  exclamations  uttered  by  those  on 
board  the  Esperanza.  The  ship  had  driven  into  a 
bay,  where,  against  all  expectation,  the  anchors 
held.  Should  the  gale  not  again  increase,  fresh 
masts  might  be  procured  from  the  shore,  and  the 
voyage  be  continued.  All  depended  on  the  charac- 
ter of  the  natives.  Persons  were  observed  moving 
on  the  beach,  and  apparently  watering  the  ship ; 


292  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH;  OR, 

but  the  sea  was  yet  too  rough  to  allow  any  boats  to 
come  off  with  safety.  Gradually  the  wind  went 
down,  and  Captain  Langton  resolved  to  communi- 
cate with  the  shore,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  char- 
acter of  the  inhabitants,  that,  at  all  events,  the 
ladies,  and  a  party  to  guard  them,  might  be  placed 
in  safety  till  he  could  get  the  ship  into  a  secure  har- 
bor. The  shore  was  anxiously  scanned  by  all.  The 
natives  were  still  there.  One  man,  who  possessed 
the  best  eyesight  in  the  ship,  affirmed  that  the  sava- 
ges were  white,  and  wore  clothes  ;  though,  as  might 
be  supposed,  his  assertion  met  with  the  ridicule  it 
deserved. 

"  We  shall  soon  know  the  truth,"  cried  Hugh, 
who,  with  his  sister  and  Constance,  had  been  the 
most  eager  of  the  spectators  ;  "  for  here  come  two 
canoes,  which  will  speedily  be  alongside." 

"  Who  can  those  be  ?  not  savages,  surely,"  cried 
Constance,  as  the  leading  canoe  drew  near. 

"  My  heart  tells  me,  e'en  though  my  eyes  might 
play  me  false  ;  "  exclaimed  Beatrice,  trembling  as 
she  had  not  with  the  terror  of  the  expected  ship- 
wreck. 

In  another  minute,  Edward  Raymond  had  sprung 
up  the  side  of  the  Esperanza,  and  had  pressed  her 
in  his  arms ;  scarcely  heeding,  for  an  instant,  his 
own  sweet  sister  Constance. 

"  Among  faithful,  loving,  daring  women,  surpass- 
ing all !  Now  we  are  rewarded  for  all  our  toils  and 
dangers !  "  he  exclaimed,  as  he  looked  again  and 


THE  GENTLEMEN  ADVENTURERS.  293 

again  at  the  countenance  of  his  beloved  Beatrice  to 
assure  himself  that  it  was  she  who  rested  on  one 
arm,  while  his  other  hand  pressed  that  of  his  devot- 
ed sister. 

In  the  second  canoe  came  Antony  Way  mouth. 

Constance  received  him,  as  in  duty  bound,  as  a 
relative,  albeit  a  distant  one.  Whether  or  not  he 
came  up  to  the  picture  her  imagination  had  painted 
of  a  perfect  knight,  our  chronicle  says  not.  Certain, 
however,  is  it,  that  from  the  moment  his  eyes  beheld 
her,  and  he  heard  of  the  sacrifice  she  had  made  to 
friendship  in  accompanying  the  fair  Beatrice,  his 
heart  became  enslaved,  under  the  belief  that  she 
would  be  willing  to  make  a  far  greater  sacrifice  for 
love. 

Thus  had  the  chief  object  of  the  voyage  of  the 
Esperanza  been  accomplished,  —  the  long-lost  adven- 
turers were  found.  Much,  however,  had  still  to  be 
done.  The  boats  were  lowered,  and  the  ladies,  with 
Hugh  Willoughby  and  a  few  of  the  mariners  who 
were  sick,  were  conveyed  on  shore.  The  savages, 
it  was  found,  had  made  their  escape  from  the  island ; 
and,  believing  that  the  spirit  who  protected  the 
white  man  had  Come  there  to  punish  them  for  their 
crime,  no  more  returned  to  it. 

The  Esperanza  was,  the  next  day,  towed  into  the 
harbor  where  lay  the  battered  hull  vof  the  Lion. 
All  her  company  were  thankful  that  they  had  not 
repaired  her  before,  and  sailed  away ;  and  it  was 
unanimously  agreed  that  her  rich  freight  should  be 


294  ANTONY  WAYMOUTH. 

transferred  to  the  Esperanza,  in  which  ship  all 
should  sail  back  to  Old  England.  The  masts  in- 
tended for  the  Lion  were  placed  in  the  Esperanza, 
which,  in  a  wonderfully  short  space  of  time,  was 
got  ready  for  sea.  Certain  it  is,  that,  conducted  by 
Master  Walker,  a  service  was  held,  both  crews  be- 
ing present,  to  return  thanks  for  their  preservation 
thus  far,  and  to  offer  up  prayers  for  their  protection 
for  the  future.  And,  moreover,  it  seemed  clear  and 
undoubted,  if  ladies  have  to  wander  round  the 
world,  it  is  advisable,  meet,  and  convenient,  if  pos- 
sible, that  they  should  have  husbands  to  protect 
them:  therefore  the  same  excellent  minister  was 
called  on  to  unite  in  the  bonds  of  holy  matrimony 
Master  Antony  Waymouth  and  Mistress  Constance 
Raymond,  and  Master  Edward  Raymond,  the  brother 
of  the  above  Constance,  and  Mistress  Beatrice  Wil- 
loughby,  before  the  Esperanza  once  more  sailed  on 
her  homeward  voyage  to  Old  England. 

Traversing  the  vast  Pacific  towards  the  east,  and 
rounding  the  southern  point  of  the  New  World, 
the  Esperanza  reached  Plymouth  ;  and  never  ship 
returned  home  with  richer  freight  of  gold  and  of 
precious  stones,  or  truer  or  more  loving  hearts. 
And  here,  in  the  peaceful  haven,  endeth  our 
"  Chronicle  of  the  Sea." 

THE     END. 


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